Chevalier
by Eckhardt
Summary: A golden girl visits Fudo Yusei with a proposition; a proposition that could change his whole world. What if Yusei accepts it? What if he breaks the promises he made to his friends? Yusei x Sherry - Yusei x Aki - Other couples as well.
1. Neutral Yusei

"Yusei, you bastard!" Jack was holding Yusei in the air with both hands. "Say that again!"

"Jack!" Crow came rushing from the back yard at the first shout. He jumped over Jack and tried to free Yusei. "What are you doing, Jack? It's Yusei!"

"He is not Yusei, you bastard! He would not dare to betray us!"

"Jack, what are you talking about?" Crow managed to free Yusei from Jack's grasp. Yusei fell to the ground with a sound. He didn't stand nor raise his head.

"Tell him, Yusei! Tell him what you said to me!" Jack made a fist and went for round two. Crow stepped in between. "Move out, you bastard! This is between me and him."

"Like hell I would do that," he looked at Yusei. "Yusei, what is happening?" asked Crow. Yusei didn't answer. He kept his head down and his hands on his throat, easing the pain. "Yusei! Answer me!"

"He is moving out, quitting Team 5D's," said Jack.

"What? No. No. That's impossible. Yusei, that is a lie, right?"

Yusei kept silent. He raised his head and looked at Jack and then at Crow. Then he nodded his head.

"Yusei…" Crow said, his eyes looking elsewhere.

"I'll be going now," Yusei said. "Someone is waiting for me. I just wanted to let you know," he looked a Crow. When he glared back, Yusei lowered his head. "Tell Bruno that. And Rua and Ruka. Tell Aki as well." He took a disk on the table and went to the door.

"You bastard! Don't ever come again here! A friend doesn't betray other friends!" Jack was holding his helmet with anger and hitting the table with the free hand.

"Yusei. Please. What's happening? Don't go, Yusei," Crow tried again. He was just happy a moment ago when working on his D-Wheel on the back and waiting for Yusei to come home. What was happening?

"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry, Crow," Yusei said, opening the door. "Tell Bruno that I'm sorry toot. And Rua and Ruka. Tell Aki as well."

"If you walk other step, don't bother coming back!" That was the last warning. Jack's patience was at its limits. If it weren't for Crow, he would have putted some senses in Yusei. "You heard me, Yusei?"

Yusei didn't even look at him. He walked anyway, closing the door after leaving.

Outside his D-Wheel was waiting for him. The red motorcycle looked as broken as him. Yusei sighted. He took his helmet and sat on the D-Wheel, using his hand to erase his tears. "I'm sorry, everyone. I can't tell you more. I wish you can forgive me." He started the engine and set off for New Domino City.

In his head was "that look" on Jack's face and the words that he left in Crow's mouth. "No. I can't think about them now. I've made my decision…" His struggled with his every word. Wasn't he questioning his own resolve? "Bruno. Rua. Ruka. Aki" He imagined every face as he started to accelerate. He didn't want to leave them alone. "But I've made my mine. I can't back down now!" However, the images kept coming, and every time he blinked, another face would fill his thoughts.

"Yusei." Someone said something. A woman's voice, but he didn't care. "Yusei. Do you hear me?" The voice repeated, closer now. Was that voice talking to him? He wondered. "Yusei! Lower your speed!" Was the voice in his mind? Maybe, he said to himself. He accelerated the engine, whishing to get rid of the voice; to leave him alone with his grief and his tears. "Yusei!"

And suddenly the voice was no more; the speed only his world now. In a moment all was transformed. The lines and the colors were beautiful, the sound and the air refreshing, the sights just breath-taking. Yusei found himself at ease for the first time. Was the Speed World ever this magnificent? He asked himself, wondering why he was crying a moment ago. He wiped his tears. Why was that? What was the reason to enter the world of speed in the first place? Maybe he was feeling alone a moment ago. Maybe he had a fight with someone who he cared about. Maybe he found out a terrible secret and wanted to help that person. Maybe…

And then he saw it, right in front of him. He saw a little blonde girl on the road, holding a Teddy Bear in her tiny arms. "Damn!" He was too fast, unable to avoid her. "Get out!" He cried. The girl dropped the bear and watched as the D-Wheel approached her. "I can make it!" He pulled all his weight to one side and his D-Wheel followed at incredible speed.

He felt the D-Wheel losing control. "Damn! The girl!" He tried to close his eyes, but it didn't matter. He could still see the golden hair flowing as he fell to the ground.

* * *

This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's fic as well as my first time doing it in english, so I accept criticism about gramatical errors and the sorts.

Stay tuned for chapter 2


	2. Yusei l 1

"I want you to join my team, Yusei. And with your power, help me defeat Yliaster," Sherry had said in that moment, the moment they first met. The fist female Turbo Duelist he had seen in a long time. "You said you don't have a motive to enter WRGP. Yliaster killed my parents. So I need your help. That's could be your motive."

Why had she told him that? Why? Goodwin had said something about Yliaster, something about that the Zero Reverse incident was plotted by them; Yusei recalled. Was that the reason for Sherry's request? Was he recalling correctly…? He could not know, his headache meddling in his thoughts.

He had met her again at Security's HQ after a false bomb thread. A fateful encounter once again. She was dressed as a member of Security, to his surprise; he remembered, smiling. There, both of them, along with Bruno, were transported to a bizarre dimension; a really scary place. There, in that place, he felt and saw the presence of Yliaster; he was sure of it now.

His head pulsed again just for thinking of them. Now he heard a voice calling him, and a cascade of other memories drowning him as well.

Sherry had appeared in front of him once again, just after his practice for the WRGP with Team Unicorn. She was neither in her D-Wheel suit nor in the Security suit. She was just casual that time. A white shirt, jeans and long golden hair, he remembered. She was just "natural". "We meet again, Fudo Yusei," she had said. "Did you come here to clear your mind?" He had met her outside of a tea shop at night. The autumn had just entered Neo Domino City, so there wasn't much presence at that moment. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," he said and sat next to her, watching the same stars she was watching.

"I'm glad. Are your friends all right? Aki and Bruno?"

Yusei was shocked. "Yes, yes they are fine. I'm also glad that you remembered them."

"We always remember friends. Even if our memory betrays us, the heart is where friends live." Yusei nodded with a smile. "Last time we didn't have time to talk, Yusei. Circumstances weren't kind to us." She looked at him, waiting.

Yusei kept watching the night sky. "I'm afraid so, Sherry. I was shocked at your maneuver."

"Indeed. And for that plot, I'm sorry… but I needed to know, you needed too!" she raised her voice.

"I don't need an apology…" He looked down to the street and saw a couple walking in front of them, both holding hands and a coffee. The autumn air was slightly cruel for walks and Riding Duels, but people did that anyway. He sighted, recalling the past. It all seemed so different from Satellite. "You should apologies to the members of Security." Ushio and Mikage-san were the first one on his mind.

"Yusei, I'm in debt with you for not telling Security about my plan. But I'm sorry. As much as I own you, I can't do what you ask." She took a can of coffee and opened with a puff. She took a sip and passed it to Yusei.

Yusei accepted it and did the same. The coffee was warm and bitter, his favorite. "I'm sure you have a good reason to it, Sherry." He held the can and took another sip before passing it back to her. He then touched his lips, feeling the taste of something sweet. What was that? "Indirect kiss…" he whispered, repeating what Stephanie once said that time she shared a coffee can with Jack. What am I thinking? He whipped his lips slightly, feeling how heat invaded his cheeks.

Sherry held the can with both hands to keep it warm. She would finish the coffee later. "Indeed, I have a good reason and I would like to share it with you. But first, I must ask. Yusei, have you thought about my proposition?"

Indeed he had thought about it the very first time she had spoke of it, but not really seriously at first. He had already promised his friends to compete in the WRGP as Team 5D's; in a way, the resurrection of Team Satisfaction. All together again: Jack, Crow, and, why not? Kiryu. That promised was followed with the arrival of Bruno to the team, an incredible D-Wheel engineer and an irreplaceable friend. Bruno had so many ideas and tactics, he was just heaven-sent. Yusei thought that the he had found the last missing piece of perfection on Team 5D's. But another surprise was awaiting him. That's right, the surprise was the moment when Aki joined as a D-Wheeler; with that, perfection reached a new meaning. He had never been so close to win the WRGP and find his meaning…

…Until Sherry entered his life a second time; that moment in the strange room at Security's HQ; that piercing eyes in that isolated white reality. In that moment he had found himself so close to Yliaster and Sherry at the same time he could not find words to describe it. He had felt the anger in Sherry's self for that accursed organization in those eyes, her pain and despair and nakedness at the loose of his parents in that silence. He had felt like crying in that moment, and shouting and killing. So horrible was that feeling.

Yusei looked at her and saw her green eyes on his. She was there, frozen for God knows how much time, waiting for his response. He hated himself for remembering such sadness. "Sherry, I want to help you. But the promise to…"

"…Yusei," she interrupted. "I know what you are going to tell me. I was expecting it in some way." She smiled. "But hear this first before you make your decision." She gave him the coffee can again, half empty, returning to her neutral expression. "Drink it. You may need it for what I'm going to tell you."

Yusei took the can. Was it this heavy? The city lights were so bright he could barely see if he was holding the coffee or not. Were the lights this bright since the beginning? His head hurt when he though about it. Since when…? Yusei shivered, the wind was rising and the temperature dropping fast. What is happening? Then he wasn't sure if he was standing or not, if he was close to Sherry or not. The sounds grow louder and louder, as if thousands of people where inside his head. "There's so much noise I can't hear you, Sherry!" But the voices grow louder, sinking his cry. The pulses inside his head where too much to bear.

And then he heard it.

"Yusei, are you ok?" It was a soft voice in a sea of noise. "Can you hear me?" The voice repeated, this time clearer and louder. "Yusei, don't do this to me." The other noises grow quitter and Yusei was able to concentrate once again. "Ojou-sama, you should rest. Your eyes are wet for been awake for so long." Another voice said, certain as daybreak. "I'm sorry, but can you let me stay a little while?" replied the voice. Then the second voice was no more.

"Where am I?" asked Yusei.

"You're awake! Mizoguchi, Yusei is awake! Bring everything now!"

His world wasn't spinning anymore. Everything was quitter now, only the voice filled his mind now. He could not see it, but he found it familiar.

Yusei opened his eyes. The light was dim but his eyes hurt anyway. He was dressed in white and covered with a pink sheet that smelled like flowers and sweets. He could not move an inch, he was sure of it; his body lying on a big, warm bed. Looking up he saw an unknown white ceiling. "This is…" And suddenly, golden hair and emerald teary eyes filled his world.

* * *

Ok, second one. From now on I'll be changing between points of veiw to make the story more entertaining. As I said before, gramatical criticism is more than welcome (as well as other kind of constructive critiscism and reviews). Come on, tell me what you like/dislike about this chapter!


	3. Crow l 1

Crow sighted, wondering what to do next. At least five hours had passed since Yusei said that words and walked pass the door. Since that moment the atmosphere grew unbearable. "Unforgivable! Yusei, you bastard! You'll pay!" Jack, the most affected, shouted at Crow's ear.

"Shut up, Jack. Yusei will not come back not matter what you yell."

Jack turned around to grab Crow's clothes. "Bastard! How can you say that? Yusei will come back and fight with us against Team Unicorn."

Crow sighted again. "You're making no sense! How can you say that he will come back after what he said?" He put his hand on Jack's arms and released himself from Jack's grasp. "He is gone."

"What with that attitude, you bastard? You already lost hope…"

"…Shut up," he interrupted, making a fist and showing it to Jack. "You already lost your hope when you saw him walk pass that door." Jack was going to say something but Crow continued. "He is our friend, so it must be something else he is worried about. Didn't you realize his pain in when he said he was quitting? Damn, of course you did, he is our friend after all."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Jack sat down on the floor, leg crossed, looking at Crow's eyes. He seemed more approachable now, Crow thought as he sat opposite to him. "So?" He insisted.

So, what now? Crow asked himself. As he had said, Yusei had some outer motive, something deeper that neither Crow nor Jack could sense in that time. Sure, that was a given. "First, we must cool our heads a little. Look at the window now, is past midnight." Jack raised his eyes and looked pass the window. Outside, the autumn night was moonless, cold and dark. "There's no way in hell we'll find Yusei at this hour. Also, he is not stupid; he should have somewhere to stay and eat."

"But…"

"No buts, Jack. Listen to me, bastard." Jack was incredible stubborn sometimes, well, almost always, but today he was listening. "Bruno is about to get back from his work at the delivery shop; we should tell him about the incident with Yusei. That's our first objective." He raised one finger and smiled. "Bruno should help for now. He can access Security's Main Frame and hack the traffic cameras for us. Like last time…"

"Oh, I see! If Yusei left in his D-Wheel, he should be on one of those cameras!"

Sadly, Bruno was a must in the plan. Neither Jack nor Crow had enough knowledge on modern technology to be able to hack a very secure network like Security's. Also, their knowledge of D-Wheel engineering was as bad as the former. That was just sad. "That's correct, Jack. Second." He raised another finger. "If that doesn't work, we ask Rua and Ruka if they have contacted Yusei or he is staying at their house. Like when he stayed before Fortune Cup; Yusei told me that once. This is just an "else" situation if the first plan fails." Crow smiled. "Oh, yes, we could also ask Mikage-san for information since she knows how Security works. Oh, Carly has plenty of information at her disposal as well." Crow pointed at Jack. "Your call."

Jack snorted and raised his nose, eyes closed. He always did that when Crow mention Mikage or Carry. "Whatever," he said at last.

Okay, that should suffice as the objectives for that night and the next morning. Oh, no. He was forgetting something, something really important. How could he forget that? "Also, Jack. We should tell as few people as we can that Yusei quit and he is missing. You know, if some people would find out…"

"…They would make a hell of a noise". Jack nodded, understanding immediately. "Yeah, Izayoi." He crossed his arms and made half a smile. Izayoi would make the plan go to waste in less than a heartbeat. She would enter in berserk mode exactly like that time when Yusei was kidnapped and then turn earth and sky and earth again looking for him. Man! That would make two people to look for instead of only one. "I'm afraid of what she would do if she finds out."

Crow couldn't help but smile. The though of witnessing the reborn of the legendary Black Rose Witch didn't suit him at all. Crow snorted. He pitted Yusei for been the one handling that incident. "Yeah, same here."

Suddenly, the doors to the garage opened with a noise, someone walked pass the door. Crow turned back, still smiling. The outside light was broken since last week, so it was pitch black in the entrance hall; making the newcomers as black as the night. The silhouette stayed under the door and watched inside the garage with hands in its pockets. Who was it? Was Yusei back? Had he made up his mind? Crow couldn't help asking. "Oh, the light is still out. Lucky I buy one!" The shape said, showing something from its pocket.

"It was supposed to be Jack the one fixing it, Bruno. Let him do it" Crow sighted; his hope disappearing once again. It was only Bruno returning from work.

"No. No. It will only be a second," Bruno said. "Also, I brought…"

"…Bruno!" Jack rose from the floor with a loud sound, interrupting. He pointed at him. "We need your help to find Yusei. He is missing!" He made his intentions clear. _Right to the point_, smiled Crow.

Suddenly, another shape appeared next to Bruno's. This was shorter and thinner and scarier. "Yusei is what?" And Aki entered the room in a rush; her face full of confusion and anger.

"…I brought Izayoi with me," whispered Bruno.

"Damn!" Crow and Jack cursed in one voice.

* * *

A little shorter than expected. But I guess I found a good breaking point. As always, R&R.


	4. Bruno l 1

"You could've just asked for Security's permission, you know," said Ushio as he sat at the garage's table, next to Mikage. Both had come two hours later that night in response of an emergency call from Jack Atlas himself, requesting Mikage to be at the garage as soon as she could possible be. Ushio came along too, a little upset for not been sleeping at his house at that hour.

"And exactly how much time that would cost us?" Jack was the only one standing; his presence and impatience growing every second. He had not eaten since midnight so, in order to keep him awake, his body was eating away his mood quickly. "Answer!" He is just worried about Yusei, Bruno though as he saw how Jack could not stop walking around the garage. He was just really worried.

"…At last three hours, Atlas-sama…" said Mikage, facing down. She went to her amber eyes and wiped away the tiredness on them. "We need to contact Security first, but at this hour that would take about…"

"…my point then!" Jack made a fist. "Bruno. We don't have three hours. Go on!"

Bruno nodded. He was sitting right in front of Yusei's computer, an old laptop bought in old Satellite's black market about two years ago. It load time was horrible and it used to freeze often, but the quiet sound made by the cooler always made Bruno feel at ease. Maybe it was the same with Yusei. "Ok, guys. I'm entering Security's Main Frame at this moment. Please wait a little more." The computer made a sound and the screen went as black as the night. White letters started filling the screen.

"At least let me give you my password," commented Mikage.

"That won't be necessary, Mikage-san," said Bruno. "The area I'm accessing is outside of your jurisdiction on Security's Network. And even if I could enter using your ID and password, the log on the network would only bring you trouble in the future."

Mikage gasped, lowering her head. She blushed a little. "I hadn't thought of that, sorry… I mean, thanks."

"No problem." Bruno smiled as he turned his back to face her. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Mikage-san." She gasped again, trying to reply. The only thing she could do was blush furiously. Ushio snorted, arms crossed.

The firewall on Security's network was really a cybernetic nightmare; miles of code lines and thousands of dollars were on it. That was Bruno thought at first in the Jaeger Incident. He didn't know how skilled Yusei was on the hacking business.

They both had entered through a hole in the firewall's logic, a place where no ID check was required or log was written. It looked suspicious but well hidden. Maybe it was a code error, but Yusei thought that was an inside job. Either way, Bruno and Yusei had created a link to this hole and then had found Jaegar's involvement on the disappearance of the D-Wheel program. "It's been three weeks since the last time we entered. It's good to know that the path we created with Yusei is still there," whispered Bruno.

"What did you said, Bruno?" asked Ushio, suddenly rising from his seat.

Oh, he had said too much. "Nothing… nothing, Ushio-san. In a moment we'll be at the traffic video database. Just hang on a second."

Jack looked at Bruno and made half a smile. It was glad to have Mikage's authorization to hack Security's network… well, she didn't have an option. But if Mikage or Ushio were to find out that Bruno and Yusei had hacked Security in the past, they both would have a problem.

The computer made a sound and suddenly the screen grow brighter. "Mikage-san, it's time," said Bruno.

Mikage went to the computer and sat alongside Bruno. She took the laptop and made it face her. She then extended her hands and started typing. "Very well, take a look at this," she said. Neo Domino City's map appeared on the screen, red dots glowing at different locations. "As you can see, there are about a score of cameras on this area. These are the red dots." She used her little finger to show the area. "From this screen I can connect to the video database of these cameras. What I need is the time when you last saw Yusei."

"At least seven hours, maybe more. It was almost night when he left," replied Jack. "Crow left about two hours ago in search for Izayoi. And between Yusei and Izayoi was at least five hours. That I'm sure." Jack's arms were crossed; he looked defiant. Ushio yawned.

"Very well, we'll start from the camera close to the garage. It about two blocks from here and it's the only access to the highway a mile away. That should be the obvious route." Mikage selected the camera and countless options appeared. "Everyone, please observe the screen."

Ushio rose from his seat and came near the computer, Jack approached as well. As Mikage hit Enter, the screen went pitch black.

"What's the meaning of this, Mikage-san?" asked Ushio as he pointed at the white letters on the screen.

Mikage looked surprised. "Video not found," she read. "Eh? I… I don't know. Maybe it was broken. Let my try another."

And the screen went black again.

"What's happening?" Bruno grabbed the laptop and started typing. "No. No. It can't be…"

"…don't tell me…" Jack put his fist on the table.

"…yesterday's videos are all gone…" said Bruno. All data from that day was erased; all videos, all traffic reports, all duel reports. That wasn't right.

"Bastard!" Jack grabbed Bruno from the collar and lifted him from the ground. "What did you do, bastard? What did you do with the videos?"

"Atlas-sama!"

Ushio held Jack's arms and released Bruno. "What are you doing? He didn't do a thing! You saw him!"

"Lies! He is the only one who can hack Security! He doesn't want me to find Yusei! He is Yusei's ally!" Jack struggled from Ushio's grip several times. He screamed. He kicked. He cursed.

"Atlas-sama, please calm down." Mikage rose and went to Jack. She grabbed both of his hands and surrounded them with hers. "Bruno-san would not do to such a thing. He didn't know how the security cameras work. That's why I'm here. The only one who could have done it…" she lowered her head. "…is me."

"Mikage!" shouted Jack.

"But I swear I didn't do it. I swear. I swear. Please, Atlas-sama, believe me!" She didn't show her face, but her voice was close to tears.

Jack sighted, releasing his hands and body. "Fine. Let me go, then. I'll find Yusei on my own."

The garage's door opened. The front light that was fixed by Bruno showed the tired figure; a figure with long hair, glasses and a striped shirt.

"Carly!" Jack ran to her, reaching Carly in two jumps.

Carly was breathless. She had almost fainted a second after Jack held her in his arms. Her clothes were dirty as well as her face and hair. "Jack! It's an emergency…"

"…emergency?" he repeated.

He looked at Mikage and Ushio and Bruno. "It's Crow-san… He… he crushed in the highway!"

* * *

Not much to tell here. R&R.


	5. Yusei l 2

Yusei got up at noon. His body felt heavy, feeling the pain carved on every bone. The warmth of the house was pleasant. Autumn had arrived a week ago, and with it, the cool mornings and cooler nights. The temperature had dropped a lot since then, but today it seemed like summer had invaded Neo Domino City once again. Was Mother Nature as sleepy as he was? "Is someone here?" Yusei asked. On top the bed was his shirt and jeans, his Duel Disk and Deck. He looked at his chest and saw white bandages all over him. "Sherry, are you there?" His voce echoed through the house as he dressed. No one answered. "Mizoguchi," he called again, his body longing for the bed's embrace once again. Mizoguchi didn't answer either.

He touched his head with one hand, feeling the pain; his headache was still there. Great, Yusei said to himself. What were the odds of finding some analgesics in a stranger's house? "We'll see." His head pulsed again. "Maybe a shower will do instead." A shower was far better idea than an aimlessly search. Also, he knew where to find the bathtub. "I'll do that then," he said, undressed and walked to the bathroom.

"Yusei, bath is ready. Pills are under your pillow. Don't wash clothes in washing machine while bathing, you'll regret it. No food in freezer, I'm sorry. Please, wait for my return. Sherry," he read the letter posted in the bathroom door. Yusei smiled. He could barely tell apart the characters, it was written in a hurry, and the syntax was a little off too. He could not help reading it again and thought about Sherry: the writing was rough and somehow elegant, the same way the author was. Yusei touched his lips and realized he was still smiling.

The water felt nice in his body; inside the bathroom the bathtub was half full with cold water, so he emptied it and took a shower instead. It was a shame, he had slept too much and thanks to that, the water in the tub was cold. "So much for Sherry's kindness," he said, feeling somehow guilty as he let the hot water invade him. "Sherry… Mizoguchi…" He had remembered once again the words that Sherry had said to him that night, the night they both had shared that bitter coffee. He felt like crying again. "Damn… I need to think of something else." He thought of Crow's deck and Jack's energy and Aki's smile. He wondered if they missed him as he missed them. "Could they understand the pain Sherry and I did? I wonder if this birthmark would help me apologize." The Dragon Head in his arm didn't respond. There was so much steam in the bathroom that he could barely see it. "Damn." He needed to think of something else; maybe think of a duel or maybe a song. "…Crazy, Keep on Driving…" he found himself singing a strange song. Was that the song Crow really liked? Why was he thinking about it now? "…One Way Road. Keep on Burning Soul…" He smiled. Somehow, the song made him happy. He usually didn't sing at all. "…Iku ze…" He remembered the first time he meet Crow and Jack and Bruno; the first duel with Aki, with Rua and Sherry. His birthmark glowed. "Clear Mind!"

And he saw it. In the World of Speed he saw a golden figure flying over his D-Wheel; six white feathers like an angel, a halo on its head. It was a woman in a white dress, with long blonde hair, with claws and tails like a dragon. She was smiling, smiling like Ruka, or like Aki, or like Sherry. Every time he looked, she changed. "Are you my dragon?" he asked as he kept on driving. The figure flew close to him and nodded, pointing to his duel disk. There, a white card welcomed him. "Who are you?" She opened her mouth, but no words came out from it. She pointed at the card once again. Her eyes were sapphire and topaz, the color of the sky. "I… I can't read it… Who are you? Did I summon you? Are you Stardust Dragon…?

And then, the dream ended.

"Yusei, are you still in there?" Sherry voice called through the door. She sounded different. "Are you okay?"

Yusei waked up under a cold shower. As his vision returned, he stood up with a hand on the bathtub's edge. It was all gray and humid; the bathroom looked like a foggy maze. "Yes, Sherry. I'm okay," he said before sorting his thoughts. How much time had he been dreaming? And, what was that dream? "I got a bit dizzy, that's all." He paused. Sherry didn't answer. Yusei heard her steps move away from the door.

The steam had made the floor really dangerous to walk bare footed, so Yusei had to rely on the innate balance of a D-Wheeler. He looked for a place to hold and then went to the window. He opened it and let the steam out. He took the mop on one side of the room and cleaned until no water was left on the floor.

He found Sherry at the kitchen, cooking. "How are your injuries?" she asked. Yusei nodded and sat down on a chair, next to her. She wore a white and gold shirt, with jeans and an apron on top. She was so different from the before. "I'm glad. Mizoguchi had left in order to find this girl you were talking about last night. So, he would be back later."

Yusei lowered his head. The little girl with long, golden hair and a Teddy bear. He had seen her a moment before he crashed. She was alone, in the middle of the street, looking for her mommy and daddy. He didn't know why, but he knew. "Are you sure it was only me at the crash site?"

Sherry turned back and looked at him. "Yes, indeed. I was following you from behind. I called your name and asked you to lower your speed and then you just suddenly lost control of your D-Wheel. There was no girl on the road."

That didn't make sense. "Maybe… But I have to make sure; the images where too real."

"Clear Mind," said Sherry.

"Clear Mind?" Yusei thought of Crow's song, but he was sure it didn't mean the same to Sherry.

"It's a myth in Riding Duels. Some people said that before entering this state, they see images of the past, friends and family. After passing them, they enter Clear Mind." Sherry sat next to Yusei. "I don't know what this Clear Mind means, never experience it before, but maybe it was what you saw back there. Did you know this girl?"

Yusei didn't know how to answer. This blonde girl was so familiar yet a total stranger to him. Maybe Martha knew the girl; maybe they were both living with him in the orphanage. Maybe Crow or Jack knew her too. There was so many things that he didn't remember from his childhood, maybe this girl was one of this things. "It was so sad. She was looking for her mummy and daddy. She had a Teddy bear, and she was crying." Was this girl the same he saw in his dream a moment ago? Could be that Clear Mind was playing tricks on him again? Impossible, he thought. My D-Wheel was on the Sherry's garage the whole time.

Sherry made a sound as she heard Yusei describe the girl; her eyes weren't looking at him. "No, I'm afraid I don't know her either." She rose and went to the kitchen again; her long, golden hair followed.

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Thanks to Maasaki Endoh for the inspiration boost I was so desperatly needing. As always, R&R.


	6. Bruno l 2

Crow stood motionless as he grasped for some air. He was the only patient on room 302 and the only one screaming at that hour. "No please, doctor! Please, don't tell me that!" he shouted as he sat on the bed.

"I'm afraid your right arm is pretty much broken. The damage was more severe in the shoulder and elbow area, so mobility is out of the question. But the good news is that we ran some more test and the other everything was just fine, so cheer up," said the doctor, a young and gorgeous woman in a white uniform.

Bruno was the other person in the room. "Crow!" he said as soon as he heard him scream. He then smiled. "Oh, you're okay. I'm so glad." Crow had his left arm all covered with bandages, resting on a special metallic platform. Bruno was worried that the damage was more severe, since Crow had arrived unconscious to the hospital, but to hear the doctor said it was only a fracture on his right arm, somehow that made him at ease.

"I'm not okay, you bastard! My arm is… my arm!" He made a fist with this other hand and hit the damaged shoulder. "AH!" he grasped for air again. "My duel against Team Unicorn. The kids…" Crow had said the same a moment before recovering from his concussion. He kept repeating the name of the kids at Martha's place, with tears streaming from closed eyes. He had broken their illusion, he had also said. Bruno felt his heart crying from that memory.

"Don't overdo it. Are you an idiot?" asked the doctor, her long black hair to one side of her shoulders; her blue eyes on him. "You'll be fine in about a month, that if you don't do something stupid." She took a sheet of paper with Crow's data on it. After reading it, she went silent. "Oh, you're from Team 5D's…" she looked at him once again and made a sad face. "…the preliminaries are in a week. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"And we had a missing member too," said Bruno.

"Don't tell me Yusei is still missing," Crow tried to stand up, but moving his arm from the platform turned out to be almost impossible. Bruno nodded and didn't say a thing.

"Could it be Fudo Yusei you're talking about? The winner of Fortune Cup, Fudo Yusei?" asked the doctor, suddenly interested.

Bruno nodded again. He then sighed.

The plan to find Yusei was pretty much screwed since the beginning. Aki had gone missing the moment she heard Jack said that Yusei was quitting Team 5D's and he was not coming back. Man, that was so scary, Bruno thought. He had never seen Aki so angry and desperate at the same time. Bruno looked down. Man, too bad about the camera incident too, he said to himself. It was a weird incident indeed. It was crystal clear that someone had hacked Security's database early that day and erased all video footage from the cameras; not only the neighboring ones, but all of them. The most unsettling part was that only the videos from the day Yusei quitted were missing, all others were there. It was defiantly intentional, Bruno knew. "So much for Crow's plan", Jack had said a moment before entering the hospital with Crow and Carly, Mikage, Ushio and Bruno. They had been in the eye of the storm since the beginning, and now they were just spinning near its vortex.

"Crow, are you okay?" Rua and Ruka entered the room. The moment they saw Crow sitting on the bed, they both smiled. Jack, Carly, Ushio and Mikage followed them afterward.

"Is he still sleeping, doctor?" Jack asked. He had his helmet still on, meaning he was riding his Wheel of Fortune until some moment ago.

"Idiot, I'm awake! Can't you tell?" retorted Crow, slightly angered. "One falls asleep after the crash of his life and that is the only thing you could ask?"

The doctor rose from her seat when she saw Jack removing his helmet. "Oh my God, is J-Jack Atlas," she said with reddened cheeks. "H-He is been awake for about t-thirty minutes now, A-Atlas-san." She bowed to him, trembling with excitement. Mikage and Calry frowned.

Jack took a moment to glare at her. "And you are?" he asked.

"She is Hikari-sensei, you idiot," Crow answered. He seemed angrier at every passing moment, but watching as Rua and Ruka where climbing the bed to stay next to him, somehow made him at ease. At least that was Bruno thought. "Can't you tell she is the doctor?"

"Whatever," Jack said. Jack had left Bruno with the responsibility of taking care of Crow while he would back the get the Black Bird back to the garage. It seemed that he found company along the way too.

"Crow, can you tell us anything about the accident?" asked Carly. She had been the one that found out about the crash, mainly because her house was three blocks from the site and she was still awake at that hour, reading a novel on her bed; or at least that how the story she told Jack and the others went. "Did your D-Wheel just lose control like that?"

Crow made a painful expression. They had found him lying on his back and screaming in pain in the middle of the highway. It was the most horrible thing that Bruno had ever witnessed. "I can't remember, I'm sorry," said Crow. "I was in my way back home. I had given up on the search for Izayoi for the night and was on my way to report the status to everyone, but as I got closer to the garage, I-I just…" he could not find the words to finish his sentence. He looked down, really hurt. "Damn, I'm so useless. Team 5D's could not even fight its first battle."

Jack walked to Crow's bed and grabbed him from his clothes. Everyone gasped. "Bastard! No ones if giving up now, not even an idiot like you has the right to give up. If necessary, I'll take the three bastards of Team Unicorn myself." He raised his free and hand made a fist. "For I'm Jack Atlas, and I would not fight alongside team mates who don't want victory!"

"Atlas-sama!" Mikage smiled as well as Carly and Hikari-sensei.

"But is 4000 Life Points against 12000," said Ushio.

"Shut up, lowly security guard! If there is a possibility, I'll make it happen!" he pointed at Ushio.

"I'll enter too! I want to duel alongside Jack," Rua jumped from the bed and grabbed his Duel Disk. "With the Envoy of Love and Justice, my Power Tool Dragon, no one will ever dare to mess with us!" He took a card from his deck and put it in front of him. It was his Ace Monster and also one of Bruno's favorite monsters, Power Tool Dragon. Bruno smiled. The dragon looked so metallic and with so many wires and buttons that it was just awesome.

Ruka sighted at the scene. She walked away form the bed and went to her brother. "Rua, there's an age restriction in WRGP. You're still too young to compete."

"Ruka!" Rua face went pale, his eyes almost in tears. "Why can't I? Why? Why?" He put his head on Ruka's torso and slowly hit his fist on her shoulders.

"Rua, you shouldn't fight with your sister," said a new voice on the room.

Everyone turned to it.

"Aki nee-chan!" Rua smiled and raised his arms. He ran to Aki and hugged her around the waist. "I was so worried you were missing too. I'm really glad that I was so wrong."

Aki put her hand on Rua's head and pated it slowly. She still had her riding suit. "Everyone, I'm sorry I disappeared. I didn't know what to do in that moment. I wanted to apologize, and especially to Crow. Thanks to my recklessness I hurt you. I promised myself never to do that again. I'm sorry." Her voice was emotionless, but her eyes betrayed her, showing how deeply sorry she was.

"Don't worry, Aki-san. I'm sure Crow will forgive you, right Crow?" asked Bruno. He had been silent the whole time, wondering about the future of Team 5D's, and why anyone would want to hack Security in order to erase Yusei's footsteps. "Right?"

Crow didn't say a thing. He just blankly stared at his sheets.

"Crow?" repeated Bruno; he had suddenly realized how awkward the silence was. Had he made a mistake? He was going to say something when…

"What is the meaning of this, Crow?" Zora entered the room with a loud noise. She was the landlord of the garage where Crow and the other were staying. She was really scary. "Why do I have to pay for the hospital?" she looked at a paper on her hands. "And where is Yusei-chan? Security told me he is missing!"

"Zora, wait!" Crow raised his eyes, looking shocked. "We were looking for Yusei before I got into a crash."

Zora looked even angrier. "You mean you have not found my Yusei-chan yet? How I'm going to tell Martha?" She pointed at piece of paper she was holding. "Crow, I'm not paying this bill until you find Yusei, you heard me? Also, you're out of the garage for good." She looked at Jack. "And specially you! And the blue haired guy too! You're all out of my house until my Yusei appears!"

Jack was as speechless as Bruno and Crow. Scary, Bruno thought. After a silence that last eons, Jack said, pointing, "Carly, I'm staying at your house!"

Carly could not even answer.

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PyschoTeddyBear: I'm glad you like the story so far and I'm really thankful for pointing out my horrible errors. The truth is this is my first fic in English, so I pretty much have no experience except for the novels I have read and the television I have watched. Can I count on you for the next chapters as well? :)

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Things started to get complicated for Crow and the others. Join me next time for more. R&R.


	7. Yusei l 3

The flames were everywhere. Yusei had seen the smoke from the street and had rushed to the top floor of the apartment block, to Sherry's home. "Sherry! Are you there?" he screamed as he reached the door. He had climbed through the stairs in less than a heartbeat. "Mizoguchi? Sherry? What is happening?"

The heat was unbearable, flames surrounding Yusei the same moment he entered. The fire crept from the floor and onto the walls, onto the ceiling and furniture, turning Yusei's vision red and gray, vague and wet. Were Sherry and Mizoguchi trapped in the flames? If there was a slight possibility, he had to know for sure!

Yusei turned back, took off his jacket and washed it in the tap outside; he entered the flames with the jacket on his head. "Sherry! Mizoguchi!" He didn't get an answer; the crackling was too much for his ears. "Sherry!" She was fast asleep when he had left for the store. "Damn!" That was five minutes ago. "Sherry!" She could have not escaped in time; she was really tired for been awake all night. "The Z-ONE card. No, it can't be…" She was investigating that card with him that night, but he went to sleep earlier. "Could she…" he coughed "…had found something…" Fire rushed towards him in a flash, forcing him to put his wet jacket on the line; the blaze retreated, but the heat didn't. "So hot…" He was sweating and coughing, but he could not leave until he reach Sherry's bedroom.

"Give me back… that card!" he heard a voice said. Was that Sherry? "My… my… card."

It was no mistake, it was Sherry's voice! Yusei charged into the flames; he jumped over the burning furniture and evaded the burst of flames that came from the bathroom. He turned left and saw Sherry's bedroom door. It was locked, he knew. Yusei took a step back and draw the little air he could find, and charged towards the door. The door fell to the floor, allowing him to enter.

"Yusei!" Sherry was in front of him, with her back on the floor and with her clothes burned. "Don't come, Yusei…" She coughed, covering her chest with both arms. All her shirt was gone. "Yusei, he wants you!" Sherry was blushing, and coughing and crying.

A figure emerged from the fire. "Fudo Yusei." It was a white robed man with a sword at his hand, untouched by the flames. "You have arrived too late. She is no more of a hindrance to the future!" He held up his sword and swung it downwards, to Sherry.

Yusei rushed, throwing his jacket to the man in white. He used his other hand and blocked it. Yusei jumped over Sherry's body and put his weight onto the man. "Fool!" the man said, retreating two steps; he swung his sword horizontally, at Yusei's head. Yusei ducked in a heartbeat, steel flashing through his eyes; he readied his leg and went to the man's abdomen. The man held the kick with the free hand without a problem. Yusei tried to break free but couldn't do it; he was locked. "That won't do me a thing, Fudo Yusei," he said, and sent Yusei flying towards Sherry. Sherry gasped. She stood up with a marvelous movement and jumped at Yusei's direction. Both meet in midair, her arms held Yusei's body as he drew closer to the floor.

"Sherry, are you okay? We must go now." Yusei said after landing, realizing how he was still in Sherry's arms. He was so close to her bare chest that he could not help blushing. He looked at her, she was still crying.

"She fought valiantly for this card," the white man said, holding the Z-ONE in his hand. "But there was no match for my Machine Emperor Wisel."

Yusei had heard that name before. "Wisel? You're behind…" he cough again, flames were still there. He didn't have much time.

"Ghost," said Sherry. She put Yusei down. He gave her his jacket to cover her torso. "He is from Yliaster. He is… Mama… Papa…" She cried again.

Sherry's sworn enemy. "Yliaster?"

The man moved his sword upwards, sending a gust of wind in every direction, dissipating the flames. He then made a reverence. "I'm Placido and I'm the leader of the Three Emperors of Yliaster."

"Bastard! You were the one who killed Sherry's parents, you killed Goodwin!"

Placido laughed. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Needed sacrifices, I'm sure." He laughed again, showing the Z-ONE card once again. "The same as the girl right there," he pointed his sword at Sherry. Yusei looked back and saw her kneeling on the floor, sobbing, embracing herself. "She used all her remaining sanity to hold your body in her arms. She is no more than a hollowed existence now, a needed sacrifice for my Machine Emperor." Placido walked near her, passing next to Yusei. He raised his sword at a hopeless Sherry.

"I'll not let you!" Yusei blocked the sword with his Duel Disk, metal kissing metal. "You stole a card from her, and I'm going to get it back with a Duel!"

"I stole more than a card from her, Fudo Yusei," he lowered his sword, smiling. "Very well, you're not delaying your fate at all. I like it, o former Signer."

"Former Signer?"

Surprise was on Placido's face. He smiled nevertheless. "You don't know; how amusing. You'll soon find out. Come!" He used his sword on one of the burned walls, opening a big hole on it, a hole that lead to the street below. "I'll meet you down there". Then he jumped, and as he approached the floor, his body was surrounded by a red light. He flight down at great speed, transforming inside a sphere of red and green, loosing his robe, his hood becoming a helmet. A D-Wheel came through the streets in a flash, and Placido landed on it with no sound.

Yusei looked at Sherry's broken body. She was on the floor, embracing his jacket, screaming for her parents. As Placido had said, her sanity was no more. It pained him to even look, to somehow feel the same nakedness, the same hate, the same pain. "I'll defeat him for sure, Sherry. Wait for me," he said, and followed Placido.

Yusei's landing wasn't as perfect. Sherry's apartment was on the fifth floor, the highest one of that block. He jumped from the hole on the wall and landed on the balcony of the apartment below, knocking down flowers and clothes alike. "Three more to go!" He took a moment and aimed his jump to a clothes-line a floor before him. He jumped and extended his hand and tried to grab the rope outside the third floor window, but failed in the last second; his body arching and falling afterwards. "IT CAN'T BE!" He shouted as he saw his hand moving away from the rope. He accelerated towards the floor, feeling the wind on his back.

"Someone has jumped!" cried a voice. "Quickly, this way!"

Yusei felt his speed slowing down a lot. I'm lying on the floor, he thought with eyes closed. But strangly, he felt his body fly upwards a little, and down again, landing on a soft surface. "What happened?"

"You landed in a bunch of cushions, Yusei," someone said, a familiar voice.

Yusei opened his eyes. Yes, he knew the voice. "Kazama." A Security's officer, the one who infiltrated that gang of thieves, the one who protected Jack Atlas that time. "What are you doing here?"

Kazama smiled. "Same goes to you, Yusei. I'm responding to a fire emergency from the apartment you just jumped. I saw your D-Wheel on the garage, so I thought you would show up sooner or later. Do you have something to comment?"

"How did I end up here?"

"A nice lady thought that a pile of cushions would do just fine to catch anyone who would jump before the fireman came. Guess her hunch paid off." He smiled again.

"Kazama, there's a woman on that apartment! We were attacked by Yliaster," he remembered.

"Yliaster? What is that? Wait, there's someone else in there?"

"Yes, please, save her. I must go now!" He jumped from the cushions and went to his D-Wheel on the garage. He put his helmet and used his Duel Disk to start the engine.

"Where are you going?" Kazama had followed him. "Was that man in a white robes an enemy?"

He had saw Placido. "Yes! He was the one who attacked us," Yusei said as he sat on his D-Wheel. "Do you know where he went?"

Kazama made a thumbs up. "Leave it to me. If he is on a D-Wheel, I can find him. By the way, your friend is safe now." Yusei smiled at those words. "Now, hit the road and I'll follow."

"Thanks, Kazama. I'm counting on you on this," said Yusei. He accelerated his D-Wheel and went in pursuit of Placido. Kazama followed closely from behind.

* * *

ken08002: Yeah, I kind of hate Sora too; she has an unhealthy love for Yusei. Also, wouldn't you like a 2vs3 fight against Team Unicorn? Yeah, me neither. Stay tunned for the next chapter, maybe Team 5D's have already found a replacement for Yusei.

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Sony Ninja: As you could have guessed, Yusei is the main pillar of Team 5D's. Without him, well... you'll see. Same goes to Yusei, without his friends, well, his is kind of nothing. You'll see that too. More Sherry x Yusei comming on the next chapters.

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PyschoTeddyBear: Thanks for reading this chapter too, man. I try to be the character everytime I write a dialogue or a thought, It's really funny and exciting been able to put words on the mouth of my favorites characters. Also, thanks for your grammer advices, I'm truly trying to improve my english, I swear.

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Minato Uzumaki: Oh, I'm glad you like it ^^ I'll work hard to meet your expectation.

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Well, this chapter took longer than I thought, mainly because of work, of the World Cup and Rune Factory 2. By the way, if the team you were cheering for on the World Cup couldn't make it pass the first round, cheer for Uruguay insted; we could use another fan.

Anyway, if you were wondering, the next chapter is for Team 5D's. R&R.


	8. Carly

To be so close to Jack Atlas was more than a wonderful dream. He was so handsome, so brave, so full of himself; he was just perfection trapped in the most gorgeous body. He was a legend, a hero, a king. "Too bad I'm not his queen," Carly said to herself, hugging her pillow tight, rolling on her bed. "Jack…" She had thought about him that night again, the same thought as the night before and the night before that one. "Why Jack?" He had stolen her heart with one glance of those eyes, those eyes that refuse to return her heart back at her. "Jack." She moved in silence to the door, only his face on her mind, his arms embracing her in that memory. She opened it in silence. "Jack… WHAT IS THIS?"

Jack jumped from the sofa. He had been living with Carly since Sora Incident. "Carly. Why are you screaming so suddenly?"

"This mess! My apartment, Jack! What did you do?" It looked as if the fridge and all the cupboards had puked at the same time. Everything was on the floor.

"Oh, that?" Jack barely looked at it. "I was going to clean it, but on the T.V was an interesting interview with Team Wind that even Jack Atlas could not ignore." He crossed his arms as he said that.

Team Wind? Wasn't the leader of that team that girl with the swan uniform, that girl with the breathtaking long blond hair? Wasn't her name Kotegawa Ritsu? Hell, that didn't matter at all now! "But that interview finished at least five hours ago, Jack. Look at the T.V; it has been on Static Channel since midnight!" What was he doing the whole time? "Don't tell me you fall asleep during the interview?"

Jack snorted. "I overestimated Team Wind before knowing the leader. They don't have the power to challenge Team 5D's, same as Team Unicorn! They didn't deserve any of my attention!" He made a fist and rested his other hand on his pocket.

Jack, did you just fall asleep after Ritsu-san stopped talking? Do you find her an opponent, or just an attractive woman? She thought with a sad expression on her eyes. The fan girls, Mikage, Stephanie, herself; they all loved Jack Atlas for what he was, The King, and fight each other for a chance to at least talk to him. Carly has fought with every ounce of strength to keep the other girls away from her and Jack, but they never given up an inch, sadly. "At least he is staying with me and with no other," she whispered, blushing, feeling her heart racing. But what did Jack think about her? How about the others? He didn't like Mikage: she was his secretary and nothing more; besides, he practically ignores her when she shows up; Carly thought that Jack has done that since the first time he met her. One less to worry about then, she said to herself. Same as the fan girls, they're just that, fan and nothing more. Two less to worry. She sighted now. But Stephanie, the girl from the coffee shop, the girl with that shy attitude, was a new enemy, too new to Carly to neither feel threaten nor safe around her. "But what does Jack think of all that girls?"

Jack glanced her way. "Did you just say something?"

"N-Nothing. Nothing! Forget it!" That took Carly by surprise; thinking about Jack always made her vulnerable. "I'll start cleaning right away."

Jack stopped her. He went to a corner of the room and took the broom resting there. "I will not allow that, I will do it! I promised I would clean up after the program was over and Jack Atlas never betrays a promise!" He made a fist again, holding the broom at the same time. It almost looked like he was trying to break it.

Carly felt her face burning, her heart racing, her knees trembling. Was she still dreaming on her bed? Still dreaming about Jack? "T-Thanks, Jack… Eh, J-Jack, can you listen to something I have to say?" She gathered all the courage she was saving. It was sudden, she knew. "I-I have something I w-want to tell you…" She felt it was the time. She had though about it for a million times that day and the day before. She had to tell him about what she remembered about that incident. There went nothing! "That time, when I was in your arms. I-I told you that time that I l-love…"

"…Crow, you bastard! I'm cleaning, can't you see?" Jack was on his cell phone. The call arrived a second before Carly started talking. She sighed, defeated; at least glad that he didn't hear her embarrassing mumbling. "What do you mean you can't see me? Of course I know how a cell phone works! Forget it, then! Jack Atlas is very busy to answer calls from sick people!" Jack had left the broom and was holding his cell phone with all his might. "No, no, I don't have time, weren't you listening? What? You mean now? What?"

Carly approached Jack. She appeared behind one of his shoulders. "Did something happen, Jack?"

"I need to go to the hospital. Something happened."

Hospital? "Jack, I'll go with you." If something was troubling Jack, she had to know. Maybe a scoop was waiting there. Her deck said she would be lucky; maybe it was a sign.

"Unforgivable! I will not allow such a thing! You're not from Team 5D's!"

Her heart stopped. "N-Not part of…?" Her breath was no more. "JACK, YOU IDIOT!" She took a cushion at her feet and threw it at Jack's face. She turned and run to her bedroom, not caring whether or not the projectile ever hit his face. "IDIOT! IDIOT!" Carly closed the door and rest her back on it. She could no longer see anything; her glasses where all wet; her room all in shadows. "I'm the idiot. I'm the idiot." Why would he ever care? Why did she think that she meant something to him? "Angela was right, I'm an idiot…"

Her room grew silent, only her sobbing remaining. The memories I have are all wrong! My heart hurts! She said to herself. It hurt. It hurt like hell, she cried again. But that image, that image… the image where he was embracing her, was so vivid, so real, so beautiful. Why? She had said she loved him. He had said he loved her… It was only a dream, right? She asked again. Only a beautiful, sweet dream, right?

"Carly, are you there?" A voice came from the other side of the door. It was almost a whisper.

"Go away, Jack! Go to the hospital!" She hit the door with her head, but no sound came from it.

The voice didn't give up. "I don't understand what you mean by calling me an idiot…" No, that insult was only for me, Jack, I'm sorry, she wanted to say. Jack, I believed what I wanted to believe. "But maybe was due to something I said. So let me rephrase what I just told you: I will not allow a reporter to go to see my team before the preliminaries!" Was that an apology? She could not tell the difference now. "But Carly can go if she wants to, because she is important to the team…" Jack made another pause, cleaning his throat with a sound. "Let me rephrase that part again: Because she is very important to Jack Atlas!"

Carly put her cheek on the door, feeling the cold on her face. "Jack, are you going to the hospital now?"

"Yes. And you?"

Carly got up from the floor and removed her hazy glasses. Outside of her window the sun was rising; she opened the curtains and she was bathed in a second by its warmth. She touched her lips and realized she was smiling. "Of course I'm going, Jack! Wait for me!"

The ride was awesome. The streets were so silent and the morning air felt so peaceful and sweet and warm that it looked like it came from another world; a world where Jack Atlas was ruler, angel and god. "Hold on tight, Carly." Riding the Wheel of Fortune with an extra passenger didn't represent a challenge for Jack but for Carly, who had her legs across the seat and was holding at Jack's back.

"It's almost like autumn overslept today. The air is so warm," she said as they turned around the corner, entering Neo Domino City General Hospital Garage. "That was a long name on that sign."

As the D-Wheel stopped, Jack descended from it without a sound. He removed his helmet and extended his hand to help Carly. She smiled and did the same with her hand, using the other to sooth her joyful heart. She moved slowly, trying not to step over the seat, but she got caught between the frame and the Duel Disk she tried to avoid. Jack sighed at first, smiling weakly, then used both hands and hold Carly from the waist. She blushed. Jack lifted her from the Wheel of Fortune and let her go when she touched the ground.

Carly smiled. "Thanks," she said. Jack crossed his arms and walked to the door, she following him.

Inside room 302, Crow was restless. "Jack, where were you? We were waiting for you, bastard!" He was sitting on his bed, still fresh with the bandages and broken shoulder, while Rua and Ruka were playing on his lap.

Bruno stood up from a sofa he was sharing with Aki. "Jack, we thought that you get caught on an accident. We were really worried." Even though he had said that, Bruno was smiling. He was holding a coffee on each hand. "Here is yours, Jack," he said as he handed one of the can to him.

"I don't drink this. Take it." Jack gave the coffee can to Carly; it was really hot. Bruno looked disappointed. "Thanks," he said at last, returning the smile to Bruno's lips.

Carly felt the stares on her. She was the only one who didn't belong to Team 5D's? Well, she and Hikari-sensei, the doctor, who was sound asleep on a corner. "If you need, I'll wait outside."

Jack looked at her. "Of course not! Are you an idiot? You are part of Team 5D's now! Anyway, Crow. What was the thing you wanted to talk about?" Jack crossed his arms and sat on the sofa next to him. He looked at Carly once again and took the coffee can from her hands. He opened it and drank from it. "Mm, this is a good coffee. The taste is great." Carly was astonished.

"Crow-san was talking about a new D-Wheeler who would join Team 5D's. We were really excited. Isn't that right, Crow-san?" Ruka said. She had her deck on her hands and was shuffling it with great skill. Rua was trying to imitate her technique without much luck. "He just left a moment ago. He'll be back in no time."

Oh, wasn't that great news? A new member of Team 5D's? An exclusive interview with the new hope of Jack and Crow and Aki? Carly's boss was going to love it. What a great scoop!

Crow's words didn't please Jack. "I can't wait forever! I'm going outside to find him!" He stood up and went for the door, but someone opened it from the other side first. "Kazama?" In front of him was the officer who saved his life twice. He was wearing his Security's uniform and holding a sandwich. "Can you participate on WRGP?"

Kazama stepped back at the sudden question. "Of course, Security is allowed too. Didn't you know?" Jack smiled. Carly wondered what Jack was feeling on that very moment, he looked so happy. He maybe really liked him as a member. "Why do you ask, Jack?"

Now was Jack who stepped back at the question. "Because you are one of our members now, right?"

"Members?" he repeated. "Oh, no, no. I work during WRGP, sorry. I came here to check on you and Crow. By the way, wasn't Yusei the one replacing Crow? I didn't see him today. Where is he now?"

It seemed that no one had told Kazama about Yusei's disappearance. Maybe it was for the best. "Jack, it seems he is not the new member," Carly said, looking a Crow, waiting for confirmation.

"Then, who is it?" Jack asked, annoyed, closing his fist, crushing the black coffee can. Jack did change moods rather easily, Carly thought with a grin.

Crow made a face, then laugh. He went to say something but Kazama interrupted him. "Yes? Official Kazama speaking. What? An emergency?" He grabbed the microphone on his helmet and drew it closer to his mouth. "A fire on an apartment? Did you say top floor? Give me the address… Yes, I'll be going right away!" He hit a button on the radio on his waist and looked at Jack. "Sorry, I have to go. Nice to see you, Team 5D's."

"Wait. Kazama, do you need help?" Jack asked.

Kazama smiled but shook his head. "I'm afraid not. One of the three new Security Directors called, he said there was a fire on an apartment about ten miles away from here. This time is a work for Security, Jack." Kazama winked at Jack, the smile still on his face. He waved his hand and turned back. "Say hello to Yusei for me, would you?"

Jack closed the door in silence. The realization had hit him really hard; Carly could see that on his eyes.

But as soon as Jack stepped back, someone opened the door. A woman, tall and elegant, long black hair and a beautiful smile.

"Misty-san. W-What a surprise. Don't tell me you're…" Carly was the first to speak and rise. Aki rose too.

"…Misty-san, welcome back," Aki said, interrupting. Misty walked in, but let the door open. "Did you find him?"

"Yes, I was talking to him and his children a moment ago, but we totally lost track of time. He'll be here in a moment. I'm deeply sorry for the trouble." Misty bowed her head. She was in front of Carly now, staring at her with those gorgeous eyes. No wonder she was the most famous model; those eyes and clothes and smile could mesmerize anyone. "Carly, it's been a long time. How are you?"

Carly felt her cheeks burning. Misty always did that to her. She trying to think of something to say, but Rua was the one who talked first. "Misty onee-sama! Let's play a little! Can I see your deck once again? I'll teach you how Ruka shuffles her deck without the Duel Disk. She is just amazing, amazing!"

"Now, now, Rua-san. I'm afraid I need to discuss something else with Kyosuke-san when he arrives. You should play with…"

Rua jumped from the bed, interrupting again. "…Nicko nee-chan! West!" A kid Rua's age walked inside the room, followed by her older sister, a cute girl a little older than Ruka. It was the first time that Carly saw those children. Could they be the kids of Kyosuke-san, the new member? The one that Misty was talking about? They did look like foreigners. Wait… Kyosuke-san. Her reporter instinct was on something. Could it be?

A new person entered the room. He wore a uniform black and brown and gold with the Team 5D's logo on his back; a bandana surrounding white and long hair.

"Jack, here comes our new member," said Crow with a smile. "Say hello."

She was right. "Kyosuke Kiryu! You are the father of the kids?" Carly jumped from the sofa, pointing and shaking and blushing while Nico and West ran to Kiryu. What a great scoop it was.

* * *

To Sony Ninja: Thanks for your kind words ^^ To tell you the truth, I really like/liked Placido as a villian, and I think he deserves more than the screen-time he had on the serie. Guess I'll make that happen in this fic.

* * *

To PsychoTeddyBear: Guess I'm not really good at this language after all, I ask for forgiveness once again. Oh, well, I'll get better, I promise. Keep backing me up man, you're awesome.

Oh, and thanks for the thanks ^^ We're really happy about our football team, even after losing against Holand.

* * *

Well, this chapter had something others didn't: Romance. The bad news is that I suck at romance scenes. The good news is that I'll improve, I swear. The bad/good news is that the scences'll come more often.

As a side not, this chapter took so long that I'm afraid I have already forgotten why. :S I promise more speed next time... really. I mean it ^^¿


	9. Aki l 1

"Team Satisfaction, eh?" Aki smiled at that name, enjoying, imagining Yusei running through the rain with a gang uniform, dueling and punching bad guys. She just loved repeating that name. "Team Satisfaction. Did you come with that name, Kiryu?" Since Kyosuke-san didn't really please him, she was using the 'Just Kiryu' suggestion she got from him.

"Indeed." He had his two children sleeping on his lap, embracing each other, silent as angels: Nicko, the older and mature sister, just like Ruka; and West, the younger and charming brother, the perfect partner for Rua. "They sleep quietly. I wonder what they are dreaming about," he said, caressing Nicko's head. Kiryu extended his hand and hold West's little fingers; West squeezed softly Kiryu's hand in return. "I never thought about this peace would ever come. These kids have been through a lot."

"I'm afraid they are not the only ones." Aki had Ruka sleeping beside her, on the sofa, and since Rua had won the duel against his sister, he was sleeping on Aki's lap, hugging her waist. "Even if our marks share our happiness and hopes, it also burdens us greatly. These kids were strong enough to uphold their destiny, but… at what cost?"

"Innocence," said Kiryu as he looked down. He didn't like to talk much, Aki realized, but all his words were as sharp as daggers. "I can only imagine their pain."

"And I, yours, Kyosuke-san," said Misty who was sitting in front of then on a laboratory chair. She had been silent the whole time, looking at them, measuring every word. "As a Dark Signer, I gave up my life for revenge. I choose to destroy someone's dreams only to pleasure myself on her suffering. I could choose not too. But I didn't. I'm a horrible person." Aki felt her heart stop. It was her dreams, her everything Misty was talking about; a revenge for Misty's dead brother. "But Kyosuke-san found his forgiveness. He carried the pain on his shoulders and was reborn. I didn't. I'm too scared to face my pain."

Aki trembled. Misty's expression was so distorted by sorrow Aki knew no words would reach that mask, the same ivory mask the Black Rose Witch once wore. "Misty, I…" Aki wanted to tell Misty she had forgiven her; that she does not despise her; that she can feel her pain. That was all Divine's fault… Divine, Aki could not finish. She only repeated his name in silence.

It had been two hours since Kiryu was presented as the new member of Team 5D's. The sun was just above the buildings and its sunrays were all over the medical room. It was too bad that only three people were awake to witness its warmth.

Since Jack and Carly left an hour ago, the room 302 grew really quiet. Bruno said he felt a little lightheaded and left for a walk. Crow and Hikari weren't there either, both left for daily check up on the main building; it was sad that Crow could not been dismissed because he could not pay the hospital bill.

If Yusei were here, he would know what to do about the atmosphere, Aki thought, thinking once again about Yusei; wondering what he was doing and why he was doing it. She remembered how the first news of Yusei's disappearance had affected her, the chaos she spread, thinking maybe the gang that once kidnapped Yusei was trying again; or that blonde girl, Sherry LeBlanc, or even the Dark Signers. She was so confused that time. I said I was sorry, but I'm the same as Misty, I still can't forgive myself. She broke Crow's arm and forced him not to duel against Team Unicorn; she forced the team to accept a new member missing only four days to their first match. She felt guilty. All actions had a reaction, she knew that now.

"Kyosuke-san and I were in contact since about half a year ago," Misty said, somehow answering Aki's mental request for a change on the atmosphere. "I was in Paris that moment. I was through some papers that Yusei gave to me at the Neo Domino City airport –I can't remember if it was something about Arcadia Movement or about his leader… Oh, what I'm talking about? I'm sorry; my memories took the best of me." She cleared her throat, blushing a little. "And through the papers I found a letter addressed to Yusei from Kyosuke-san."

Kiryu continued. "Yes, she sent me a letter afterwards, asking forgiveness for answering a letter she was not meant to."

"Indeed. I was well aware of the situation and I apologized in advance. To tell you the truth, my parents met when my father saw the signature of my mother on a letter that was wrongly delivered to him. He just fell in love with her handwriting."

"So you thought that it meant something," said Aki, feeling her heartbeat rising, entwined by that thought.

Misty chuckled. She covered her lips while doing so. "I would be lying if I said I didn't think of that, Aki-san. Looking back at it, maybe it was just childish from my part. A world where causality doesn't exist; a world where everything happens for a reason. That was what I wanted to believe. So I wrote the letter. So childish."

It's not childish! Aki wanted to say, but Kiryu spoke first. "Maybe it's, Lola-san, but what it wasn't was your help." Kiryu looked so different from before, Aki saw, her heartbeats all over her body. He had that aura of silence surrounding him, those sad eyes. But, where were they now? Could it be that Misty had that effect on him? "Lola-san helped me overcome the empty shell I had become. Her and Yusei."

"We talked about what it meant to us been Dark Signers. What it meant to our souls, to others too. Kyosuke-san helped me overcome the shame, much more of what he thinks. And I wanted to return that favor."

"In one of her letters she told me about Team 5D's." Whenever Misty stopped talking, Kiryu continued the story. It was also true the other way around. A perfect symmetry. "She told me about Yusei's disappearance. Crow's accident as well."

"My niece, a nurse working here, overheard a conversation about Team 5D's tribulations." Misty smiled, extending her hands towards Aki. "Do not worry, Aki-san. She is a good girl, she didn't tell anybody else."

"Lola-san wrote me a letter asking for my council about the incident. I said I had the power to help. If Team 5D's need a third D-Wheeler, I could be the one." He smiled, his hands on Nicko's hair. "She appeared a day after on Satisfaction Town on her helicopter. She picked Nicko and West too."

"I was eager to meet them, Kyosuke-san's children."

"As we were. Nicko and West love Lola-san. She is really kind to them as she is with me. I'm pleased to finally meet a wonderful person."

"As I am." Misty chuckled again. She didn't hide her face that time.

That brought tears to Aki's eyes. What a beautiful story. A story she could not ever read on a romantic novel. Oh, how she loved that books, how she loved that feelings. Since she met Yusei, she met those new feelings she didn't know she had. Repent, forgiveness, friendship, joy… love. She grew excited about that new world. She knew she was different. She felt different. She could fell what the girls on novels felt. That weakness on the knees, that rush of hot blood when Yusei was near. Even if Yusei was never going to love her back, because as Sherry had said, she didn't understand his heart, because she didn't understand his wind; she was still happy to love him, to be near him, to breathe the same air he was breathing.

She also knew how much she missed him; him and his heart and wind.

"Yusei." There was not a moment where she did not think about him.

Rua moved his head close to Aki's belly. He had been sleeping motionless until that moment, but as soon as he got closer to her, he grew restless. He woke up a moment later, half awake, still resting on Aki's lap. "Aki nee-chan, your tummy is acting funny."

Funny? Did she eat something weird? She felt her cheeks heating up. "Rua, don't talk too loud. Ruka-chan is still sleeping."

"But… your tummy just moved when I put my head on her. Did I do something wrong?"

Oh, she got it now. "Don't worry. It was my cell phone. I thought it was you when you put your head there. Ok, give me a moment to check."

From her pocket Aki drew a red cell phone, a black outline of a rose on it. It was shining and shaking. A message, eh? She said to herself, somehow disappointed, thinking about how her mail was already full of spam of WRGP. She opened it with a sigh. Wait… This wasn't spam. She had that number. No, it could not be.

It was from Fudo Yusei.

'Aki, I'm sorry I'm writing you this. But I need of you, I need your help. Please, come at once. Here is the password from my GPS: Angelic-Hope. Use it to find me. Don't tell anyone, please. Yusei.'

"Aki-san, your face is pale. Did something happen?" Misty asked.

Aki rose from the sofa, Rua did that too. "Eh? It's… It's something urgent," Aki said. 'Don't tell anyone, please.' Why would Yusei say that? She was trembling and blushing and sweating. She knew that. "It's my father's b-birthday." Yeah, yeah, that's a good excuse. I'm sorry, everyone. "I-I completely forget to buy him a present…"

She felt like throwing up. Aki covered her mouth; she bit her lip and finished her sentence with false normality. She knew that feeling on her stomach; she knew it since she was small. Her darkness was awaking.

"How can Aki nee-chan forget his father's birthday?" Rua asked, more surprised than suspicious.

"Rua! That's rude!" Ruka was sitting on the sofa, just like Kiryu. "You always forget our parents' birthday."

Rua blushed, smiling awkwardly. "You are right. I'm sorry, Aki nee-chan. Do you need help with picking up a present part? I'm very good with presents. How about a Deformer Deck? Parents love Deformers. Everyone does! I'm very good with it at Duel Academy. Top Class! You can use Power Tool Dragon and…"

"Rua!" Ruka stopped her brother. "Aki-san, can you handle this yourself?"

Aki froze. That innocent look on Rua and Ruka's was killing her mask. She had to endure it a little more if she wanted to see Yusei. Yusei… "Yes, I'm okay, Ruka-chan… I'll be going for a moment." Liar, you are a liar! Her other self repeated, that dark past. Filthy liar! "I'll contact you if something happens." Liar! Liar! "Do the same if something here happens, ok?" What a dirty liar you are!

She could not take it anymore. She knew she could not lie anymore; not to the twins, not to her siblings. Not with that voice on her head. I'm sorry, she wanted to say, but she would have throw up everything she had on her stomach.

She left them with a fake smile on her face.

Black Rose Gale rode through the streets of Neo Domino City on a cold autumn morning. "Black Rose Gale, are you eager to meet Yusei too?" she asked her D-Wheel. She liked that name for her D-Wheel, Black Rose Gale. Yusei had built it with his own hands, just for her. You are part of our team now, he had said, give it a good name.

"What a monster you have become, Izayoi-sama," said the voice on her head, a voice long forgotten. If she ignored it long enough, it will just disappear, like it always did. "Betraying your promises like that guy did. That makes you a horrible person, just like Fudo Yusei. How horrible, lying to Ruka and Rua like that." She had started hearing that voice when she was Black Rose Witch. No, even before. She had started obeying it when she was Black Rose Witch. "Naughty girl." But Yusei had shut it inside her; after those words, after receiving her hatred. "Bad girl." But lately, the voice had come back. That incident on the room 302 had been the worst so far. She knew Yusei could cure her.

"All will be good after we find Yusei, Black Rose Gale. If he needs my help, I'll be there. He has never let go of me. I will do the same this time, for sure."

Aki transfer the GPS signal to her D-Wheel. Yusei had given her his password and switched on the cell phone antenna. It was weird. After so many calls she had made to him with no answer, Yusei was the one who called back. It was weird indeed. And why didn't he just tell her where he was on the text message? Maybe he was moving. Maybe he was dueling. Dueling against Ghost? No, it can't be. The display wasn't showing any sign of movement. She smiled at her stupid thought. She hit Refresh on the panel, just to be sure.

The day turned gray in a moment. It had started as a great autumn morning, warms sunrays and clear skies, but the temperature had been falling and the clouds gathering since then. It was just the calm that led to the storm. "It will start raining soon. I must find Yusei before that." She checked the GPS again. If she turned right on next intersection she would arrive at Daedalus Bridge, and then to Satellite. Yusei's green dot was there, at the end of the bridge. "I need to speed up. Wait for me, Yusei… "

The screen turned black as she entered the bridge. The face of Jack Atlas appeared on her screen a second later. "Izayoi, is that you?"

Jack? How could she find her? He must have been nearby. "Yes, Jack. It's me. What happened?"

"It's Kazama! A bastard hit him full force on the head with something, I don't know what exactly…! Wait! No, I can't let you talk, your head is bleeding!"

The face of Kazama appeared next to Jack's. He was breathing heavily, his eyes closed, a weak smile on his face. It was as Jack had said; his head was more blood than skin. "I was on… a fire… A man in white hit me. He took… my D-Wheel. Blonde girl too… Enemy of Yusei. Please. Izayoi."

The imaged turned back to Jack. "Izayoi, I'm transferring the signal from Kazama's D-Wheel to yours. Follow the signal and find the bastard! I'm taking Kazama to the hospital." The image of Jack disappeared.

Wait! She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. "Not now." Yusei was waiting for her. He asked her for her help. You're leaving a friend for a traitor, her dark said spoke again. If she didn't find Yusei, the voice would only grow stronger but she new she could endure it. She thought for a moment. "It can't be helped. Let's find the one who attacked Kazama first." Jack could be a little bossy sometimes, but now he had the right to be. Yusei would have to wait.

She traced the new signal and showed it on the D-Wheel screen. The dot of Yusei's location switched to the new location.

"What?" The command didn't do a thing. The green dot was still on the same place where Yusei's dot had been. "Is this malfunctioning?" She entered the Kazama's signal once again, but nothing happened. "I'll create two instances." She loaded a new marker onto the screen, a red one, and entered the new coordinates. She waited a second for confirmation.

Aki gasped for air. Both markers, green and red, had become a single yellow one, pointing to the original location, Yusei's location.

* * *

To Sony Ninja: I always hoped that after Crash Town episodes Kiryu would join Team 5D's. A powerful team would that be, right? Kiryu would kick Andore's ass: You have power, well, I'm a Dead God, can't kill me! And Breo: Oh, thanks for the cards on my cementery! Then Jean would be just as easy... Guess Konami did the right thing not to include him, a pity for us.

I should be thanking you for your review but get cought up on my insanity. Anyway, thank you man, you're awesome ^^

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Next chapter starts and ends with a duel. I'm trying to make it interesting, so it will take a little longer. Well, you're used to the wait... Sorry for that.

If you are wondering why did the pair Kiryu x Misty get into this fic, you should be blaming a fanfiction wrote by LuCarly about this couple. Hint: Her fanfiction also starts with a letter from Kiryu to Misty.


	10. Yusei l 4

The day grew darker and colder. It was like a shadow flying up high the clouds, covering every building, every road, every inch of the city; a higher presence, embracing all in dark silence, shattering hopes and dreams alike.

It wasn't autumn anymore; not since Yusei had started the pursuit of the white man.

"Oh, the hare has finally caught up with the mighty wolf," the white man, Placido, said as Yusei drew closer to him. "Fudo Yusei, I must admit that your stupidity has, once again, amused me. Breaking up those so called "bonds" you had, this so almighty Crimson Dragon, only to wallow in the despair of a lowly human who only knows revenge. How amusing." Placido laughed, moving one of his arms, pointing his finger at Yusei. "And here you are, amusing me once again, charging against a wolf without a weapon to fight its fangs."

Yusei accelerated until he saw Placido's eyes behind his helmet. "You are wrong. I didn't sacrifice my friends to save Sherry! I just…" What did he do? Didn't he do that to save her? Didn't he sacrifice his bonds to help Sherry and failed to do so? That last moments before leaving her apartment, seen her like that.

"…A pathetic excuse," Placido interrupted. "Bonds are broken by jealousy, by betrayal, by hatred. These useless bonds created the Crimson Dragon; the only nonsense on the way of Yliaster's plan. But this nonsense is gone; the only flaw in the plan is no more. And all is thanks to you, Former Singer, Fudo Yusei."

What did he mean by that? Yusei asked himself. He still had the mark on his forearm, he still had his Stardust Dragon, he still had his friends. Did he…? The last thought made him uneasy. Why was he thinking about it now? "So it's all been in Yliaster's sake. Ghost, Sherry's parents, you? You shattered hopes and dreams for a plan? I can't allow that. I can't forgive that!"

Placid laughed again. "Very well, Fudo Yusei. I'll show you how wrong you are. My Machine Emperor Wisel will shatter those things you hold dear, like it did with that friend you wanted to protect. Speed World 2 set on!"

"I'll get the card you stole from Sherry. I'll help her as I was supposed to. No more mistakes." Yusei accelerated once again. He hit a button on his D-Wheel as Placido did. "Let's do this. Duel!"

A robotic voice spoke now. "Duel Mode, on. Autopilot, standby."

White light surrounded both; two circles as wide as a D-Wheel on both side of the players, both united at each other. The Infinity Loop.

"Real damage?" It was the same with Ghost; the same with that kid, Lucciano. That light before the duel started. That could not be good. "I'll go first!" Yusei said.

"Have it your way. It will be as meaningless."

"Draw!" Yusei looked at his cards. It was good; he had a great start. "I summon Shield Wing in Defense Position –Lv2. Def 900." Shield Wing appeared on the road, covering his body with its metal wings. "I set two face-down cards. Turn end!"

"Such weaklings are but little stones in the road of True Power. Did you feel it, Fudo Yusei? Did you feel your accursed mark calling?" He laughed again. "I'll give time to the despair to set in. My move! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 4000 SC: 1

Placido LP: 4000 SC: 1

"I summon Wise Core in Defense Position –Lv1. Def 0. I set three face-down cards." The three cards appeared a moment on the field, then banished. Wise Core, the oval shaped machine, did not. "So, what are you going to do?"

Yusei looked at the monster. Wise Core, the same monster that Ghost used to summon Machine Emperor Wisel. A terrifying monster. Yusei had to think of something. "It's my turn! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 4000. SC: 2

Placido's LP: 4000. SC: 2

"From my hand I summon Speed Warrior –Lv2. Atk 900." If Wise Core were to be destroyed by an effect, it could Special Summon Machine Emperor Wisel. One of the face-down cards on Placido's field would destroy his own monster. If Yusei could attack Wise Core first…

"Trap activated! Torrential Tribute!" shouted Placido at his side. The card appeared and glowed. "This card can only be used when my opponent summons a monster. It destroys all the monsters on both fields!"

So it was like that, Yusei though. It was good he was prepared. "Trap Card open! Starlight Road!" The image of his dragon on the Trap Card made Yusei smile. "If two or more cards were to be destroyed by an effect, I negate that effect and summon Stardust Dragon instead." Yusei took his dragon from his Extra Deck, feeling at ease. "Appear before me, Stardust Dragon!"

White and blue took form on the field, a winged figure with fangs and wings, shining between white and blue stars. The dragon that was his mark was still with him. Stardust Dragon appeared on his field.

Placido didn't even flinch. Was he smiling? How can that be? "Two steps ahead. Counter Trap activated! Electromagnetic Distortion Wave! If my opponent uses an effect, Magic or Trap Card to Special Summon a monster, I destroy a Machine-Type monster and another card on my field to negate that summon." The card looked like a fisher's net, with red and green and blue straps entwined. "I destroy Wise Core and my face down card in order to send your Stardust Dragon to the graveyard!" Placido extended his arm to the clouded sky just before Stardust Dragon disappeared, screaming in agony. Yusei knew what it meant. "When Wise Core is destroyed by an effect, I destroy all monsters on my side of the field and Special Summon from my hand, deck or graveyard, Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity –Lv1. Atk 0, Wisel Top –Lv1. Atk 500, Wisel Attack –Lv1. Atk 1200, Wisel Guard –Lv1. Def 1200 and Wisel Carrier –Lv1. Atk 800."

The five monsters appeared on Yusei's screen: the core, the head, the arm, the shield and the legs. "Those five monsters. Sherry was right, Yliaster and Ghost and Wisel have a connection."

"Fudo Yusei, your end draws near. I activate Machine Emperor Wisel Infinite's effect!"

It only took a moment; the five monsters combined in a heartbeat. The arm and shield met with the core; a sword emerged from on of the arms; the shield on the other. The legs arched and twisted, attaching to the core from its lower part. The head combined last, bearing an intimidating red glare. Machine Emperor Wisel had born once again.

"Damn," cursed Yusei. "By the effect of Starlight Road, none of my cards are destroyed by Torrential Tribute." He had to think of something, something fast or Machine Emperor Wisel would destroy one of his monsters next turn. "I set a card face down. Turn end!"

"So, you can only wait for the emperor's judgment? Very well. My turn! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 4000. SC: 3

Placido's LP: 4000. SC: 3

Placido accelerated and passed Yusei. He drew his sword from his belt and pointed it at one of Yusei's monsters. "Go Machine Emperor Wisel, attack Speed Warrior." Wisel charged at that monster with sword in hand. "Emperor Presence!"

"Trap activated! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The scarecrow appeared before Speed Warrior, deflecting Wisel's blow. "This card negates an attack from an enemy monster once per turn. After this, it re-sets on my field!"

"Such lowly tricks will only work once. I set two face-down cards. I end my turn."

Yusei had Shield Wing and Speed Warrior and two cards face down. Ahead of him was Placido with Machine Emperor Wisel and two cards face down. It was Yusei's move. "It's my turn! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 4000. SC: 4

Placido's LP: 4000. SC: 4

"Machine Emperor Wisel has the ability to capture one Synchro monster per turn. Such terrifying effect." Yusei had feared that monster since the first time he dueled against it. And after that, he looked for ways to counter it, to at least have a change. "Accel Synchro." That still escaped his compression. He still could not figure it out. "I activate Speed Spell, Angel Baton from my hand. If I have 2 or more Speed Counters, I draw two cards from my deck and discard a card to my graveyard. Second, I summon Tuner monster, Road Synchron –Lv4. Atk 1600." A green and yellow machine monster appeared on Yusei's side. "If I control a Tuner monster, I can Special Summon Bolt Hedgehog –Lv2. Def 800 from my graveyard in Defense Position." He had discarded Bolt Hedgehog a moment ago when he used the Speed Spell, Angel Baton. A combo.

Yusei looked at the field and measured the possibilities. He could end the duel in one turn.

"I'm tuning Level 2 monster, Speed Warrior, Level 2 monster, Bolt Hedgehog with Level 4 Tuner monster Road Synchron." Four green rings flew beside Yusei, four stars inside them. "_Clustering hopes will evoke a new horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!" _(2+2+4=8)_ "Dash onward, _Road Warrior! –Lv8. Atk 3000."

A white and blue and yellow monster appeared on Yusei's side. Claws and armor, shining like a dagger of light, illuminating the clouded road.

Placido smiled at the monster. He pointed his sword to Road Warrior. "Synchro Summon? Why do you rush to your dead? Have you lost your hope already? Ah, that's called Fate."

That didn't bother Yusei. "I activate Road Warrior's effect. Once per turn I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Machine or Warrior-Type monster from my deck. I summon you, Needle Gunner! –Lv1. Atk 100." That wasn't enough, Yusei knew. Only a little more. "I activate Speed Spell from my hand, Summon Speeder! If I have 4 or more Speed Counters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. I summon Tuner monster Junk Synchron! –Lv3. Atk: 1300. Next, by the effect of Junk Synchron, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard. Be reborn, Speed Warrior! –Lv2. Atk 900."

"Five monster on your field? Doesn't matter how many mongrels you have, they can't do a thing to Wisel!"

"I'll show you what my monster can do. I'm tuning Level 1, Needle Gunner, Level 2, Speed Warrior, Level 2 Shield Wind with Level 3, Junk Synchron." Three green rings embraced Yusei, five stars on him. _"Clustering fighting souls will awaken the raging wicked God! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!"_ (1+2+2+3=8)_ "Obliterate, _Junk Destroyer! –Lv8. Atk 2600."

Silver and gold met, the mechanical four-armed juggernaut had appeared.

Yusei knew the victory was near. "Finally, I activate Junk Destroyer's effect. When Junk Destroyers is successfully summoned, it can destroy cards on the field up the numbers of non-Tuner monster I used in its Synchro Summon. I use three Material monsters, so I can destroy three cards on your field!" Yusei knew that Machine Emperor Wisel needed support, so he would strike that first. He hit the break and reached Placido, feeling the wind of victory all over him. "I destroy Wisel Attack and your two face-down cards! Go Junk Destroyer, Tidal Energy!"

From its core, Junk Destroyer released a wave of energy, a white and blue torrent of obliteration.

"Fool," retorted Placido. "From my graveyard, I activated my Trap Card, Seraphic Gate!"

"From your graveyard, you say?" Yusei had never heard of a card like that.

"By removing this Trap Card and two more Trap Cards from my graveyard, I can activate its effect. I remove Torrential Tribute and Electromagnetic Distortion Wave to activate Seraphic Gate's effect!" Placido's card was revealed, a heavenly gate guarded by beautiful angels and valkyries. "By the effect of this Trap Card, I can activate one Trap Card on my opponent's graveyard. As I had told you before, Fudo Yusei, I'm always two steps ahead." Placido chuckled. "I activate your Trap Card, Starlight Road!"

Stardust Dragon's figure appeared on Placido's side. It growled and flew over, shielding Placido's cards with white wings and silver dust.

"Why? Stardust…"

"Oh, you realized at last? Your Crimson Dragon is no more; he can't shield you from harm like it did with Ghost."

"That is a lie! I still have my mark, my dragon, my friends!"

Placido rose from his D-Wheel, sword still in hand. He swung his blade and cut part of Yusei's sleeve. "Oh, I can't see your dragon anymore, or your Security's friend who was behind you. Oh, where is your birth mark now? Can you see it?"

Yusei didn't feel the cut, only the cold wind passing quickly by his right arm. He looked at his mark now revealed. It was still there, the Dragon's Head, printed in pale red on his forearm like it always did. "I don't understand what you're talking about, bastard! Go, Junk Destroyer! –Atk 2600. Attack Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!" He hit the accelerator and left Placido's D-Wheel behind. He made a 180º turn. "Destroy Knuckle!"

Junk Destroyer's fist shined with golden light before launching them to the opponent monster.

"I activate Wisel Guard's effect –Def 1200," Placido said, his monster raising its right hand to defend itself. "It can change the target of an opponent's attack to itself!" The shield exploded after the attack.

"However, since Needle Gunner was used as a Material monster for Junk Destroyer, its attack inflicts piercing damage!"

Placido's LP: 2600

"Tsch, bastard! How dare you to touch me!"

"I still have one more attack. Go, Road Warrior! –Atk 3000. Attack Machine Wisel Infinity! –Atk 2500. Lighting Claw!"

Road Warrior dashed forward to meet Wisel, its claw reverberating with the sound of thunder.

"Like I would let you!" said the man in white robes. "Trap activated! Twin Vortex!" His Trap Card rose, a yellow vortex on its image. "This card can only be activated when my opponent declares an attack. It destroys one monster you bastard control, and one of mine. I destroy Road Warrior and Wisel Carrier!"

Twin Vortex intersected Road Warrior's attack, swallowing the monster in sparks of yellow ether. After that, the trap disappeared, not hurting Placido's monster.

"However, Wisel Carrier can't be destroyed by effects," Placido said. "So, Fudo Yusei, is this all you got?"

Yusei cursed. He could have ended the duel after the Battle Phase. "Why is my power not enough? Damn! I can't do anymore for now. Turn end!"

Placido laughed again. "Oh, sweet despair is what I see in your eyes. Sacrificing power in exchange for revenge. Did that girl worth that much power? She was crying when I pierced through her fake pride. She didn't have what it takes. She is a liar, a worthless liar. She called your name over and over again. My turn! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 4000. SC: 5

Placido's LP: 2600. SC: 5

"I activate Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity's effect. Once per turn, it can absorb a Synchro monster from my opponent. Go, Wisel, engulf Junk Destroyer! –Atk 2600."

From its core, Wisel shoot countless white whips that surrounded Junk Destroyer. Slowly, Wisel drew the monster closer, transforming Junk Warrior in a sphere of energy and then absorbing the sphere on its core. In Wisel's sword, the silhouette of Yusei's monster could be seen, asking for help.

That was the worst possible scenario. In Yusei's side there was no monsters, only to face-down cards in the Magic & Trap Zone. On the other side stood the white humanoid robot, Machine Emperor Wisel, and a face-down card.

"Now, the attack of my Machine Emperor Wisel rises in the amount of the attack power of the monster it absorbed –Atk 5100." 5100 attack points? Yusei grasped for air. "Now Wisel, attack Fudo Yusei directly! Emperor's Presence!"

Wisel raised its glowing sword and attacked Yusei from above.

"Trap Card open! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" screamed Yusei. The scarecrow rose and blocked what it would be a fatal strike.

"You can't use the same trick to fool the wolf! Trap activated! Battle Return! If the attack of my monster was negated or it failed to destroy a monster this turn, by halving its attack power, my monster can attack again!" Yusei had seen that Trap Card when he fought against Ghost. "Go, Machine Emperor Wisel –Atk 2550. Imperial Sword!"

The point of Wisel's sword pierced through Yusei's chest. Yusei felt the damage cracking every part of his self, like a dagger piercing his heart. He grasped for air, feeling empty.

Yusei's LP: 1450

"I set a face-down card. Turn end! So, Yusei, the sky is about to fall down on you. Can you keep up against me? I'll let you dance a little more before I cut your head off!"

Yusei watched the field with what it was left of him. He had no monster, no cards on his hand, and only two face-down cards. It would be really hard to make a counterattack at this point, at least not without his Junk Destroyer or his Road Warrior, not with Machine Emperor Wisel.

Could it be that the Crimson Dragon really gave up on him?

Since the moment he had left the garage he called his home, Yusei could scarcely feel the connection to his friends. He didn't have realized until Placido had said it. Yusei had run from his home and friends, from the crying friend he wanted to protect, from the Security Officer who was beside him a moment ago.

The gray sky was imitating his every thought.

"If exits a possibility, my bonds and I will make it happen! It's my turn! Draw!"

Yusei's LP: 1450. SC: 6

Placido's LP: 2600. SC: 6

"From my hand I activate Speed Spell, Shift Down! By reducing my Speed Counters by 6, I can draw 2 cards from my deck!"

Yusei SC: 0

"A last resource, eh?" asked Placido with a smirk. "Let see if your little dragon can help you, Former Signer."

Yusei felt his mark reacting. It glowed with crimson light and connected him to his friends. He saw Crow, lying on a bed, listening to a calm song, screaming for the pain on his shoulder. He saw Jack, carrying an injured person to the hospital, both bathed by blood. He saw Ruka, sleeping, having nightmares about monsters, crying for help. He saw Aki, fighting for her life, cursing Yusei's name. "What have I done?"

Yusei felt like crying. All that pain, all that sorrow. Was all his doing?

"Fudo Yusei, have you met your helplessness? If you don't play, that means it will be my turn," said Placido.

"I draw two cards!" screamed Yusei, eyes full of tears. "By sending Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to my graveyard, I can Special Summon Card Breaker in Attack Position! –Lv2. Atk 100." A warrior appeared next to Yusei, holding a spear that had a fist at the end of it. "From my hand I summon Salvation Dragon - Savior Dragon! –Lv1. Atk 0." The blessing of the Crimson Dragon, a small sign of hope, shined beside Yusei. "Trap Card open! Lost Star Descend!" A machine like animal was on the image of the card. "I can Special Summon a Synchro monster from my graveyard in Defense Position! Be reborn, Stardust Dragon! –Lv8 Def 2000." Stardust Dragon roared as he took flight on the field. Glad to have you back, Yusei said to himself. "However, by the effect of Lost Star Descend, Stardust Dragon defense is dropped to 0 and its level is reduced by 1 –Lv7. Def 0."

Placido rose from his D-Wheel, arms crossed. He wasn't laughing anymore. "So, you still have a way out of this."

It was now or never. He didn't have to be afraid nor cried anymore. "I'm tuning my Level 2, Card Breaker, Level 7, Stardust Dragon with Level 1, Salvation Dragon - Savior Dragon." The green ring glowed over the city, and the nine stars were enough to light the whole word. "_Clustering star lights will enlighten a new miracle! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!_" (2+7+1=10) "_Arrive in light, _Savior Star Dragon! –Lv10. Atk: 3800."

The clouded sky became clean. The shadows became light. The night turned to day. Savior Star Dragon was born.

White and red and green and blue light surrounded Yusei. His mind was clear. He wasn't crying anymore. "I'll make up to you, guys. After this, I'll be with you. I'm so sorry for been away!" Yusei faced Placido's monster. "I activate Savior Star Dragon's effect. Once every turn, I can negate an effect of an opponent's monster and gain that effect! Savior Star Dragon, gain the effect of Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity! Sublimation Drain!" If he could gain that effect, he could absorb back his Junk Destroyer.

Yusei's dragon drew breath…

"Behold, True Power!" scream Placido between the lights, smiling, laughing. "Counter Trap Card open! Infinity Counter Force!" A Trap Card with the Infinity Loop appeared before Yusei. "If a monster with Infinity name were to be affected by a monster's effect, I can destroy that Infinity monster and all other cards on both sides of the field!"

That can't be happening! "I use the other Savior Star Dragon's effect…!"

"I'm sorry, Fudo Yusei. When this card is activated, no cards can be activated in response." Placido sat on his D-Wheel with arms crossed. He did not raise his voice. "When Infinity Counter Force destroys my Machine Emperor Wisel, it inflicts half the attack power of Machine Emperor Wisel as damage to every player. Go, Infinity Purge!"

Wisel attack power was 5100, half that amount was 2550.

The flash made Yusei loose control of his D-Wheel. The explosion that followed pushed Yusei away from his D-Wheel and from the road. He could not see a thing. He could not hear a thing. He could not feel a thing.

He had lost the duel.

Yusei's LP: 0. SC: 0

Placido's LP: 50. SC: 6

Yusei felt the wind blowing, a voice calling. He woke up, feeling heavy. He was alone on a white universe. He lifted up his eyes, and saw no one, except a blonde child; crying next to a Teddy-Bear, crying alone.

* * *

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, a new fan. I'm so happy ^^, thank you so much for reviewing. As for the request for the update, here there is... al little late. Sorry.

PsychoTeddyBear: Your words put a smile on my face. Thanks, man. It's good to know that I'm imporving, and that there's good people like that points out what I did wrong and right. Thanks so much.

* * *

Ok, this chapter took way too long. I'm sorry. I wanted to create a good duel and I realised that is harder than it looked. There's so much energy on the anime that I could hardly imitate it.

As for the result, I'll let you judge.

Please, let me know if you like the duel, the trash talk between Yusei and Placido, the extra details, etc. I was trapt between the idea of a detailed duel (something like this one) or a quick one to focus on the aftermatch. Should I have choosen the later?

By the way, some of Placido's Cards are from my own invention. In the serie, he had such lames Trap Cards that he needed a boost in this fic.

Anyway, enough. Thanks everyone for reading this fic and see you in the next update. As alway, R&R.


	11. Crow l 2

"Crow-san, may I have a word with you? I'm afraid I have bad news," Hikari-sensei had said to him on the way to the hospital's inner garden. "The fracture was more severe that we once predicted. That is the main reason your pain has not yet stopped."

It had taken Crow more than a moment to grasp the news. "But I feel fine right now. As long as I don't touch my shoulder or the elbow, I don't feel any pain."

Hikari-sensei had only sighted; her long hair to one side. "You're currently on morphine, Crow-san; it's a drug that suppresses the pain. You were screaming during your dreams. You scared your friend Kiryu; he was the one who informed me. I thought it was a nightmare at first, but to be sure, I injected the drug on you, just in case. Your screams faded afterwards." She had sat in the same bench as he was. She looked sad. "X-Ray this morning showed me something different."

Crow hold his head tightly. He was still on the same spot since morning.

Hikari-sensei had told him that his fracture will heal with time; not his shoulder nerves. The muscles affected by the fracture had suffocated the nerves around the shoulder and had compromised the entire right arm. "When the shoulder heals, you will recover your arm's capacity and strength. The bad news is that the pain will not disappear," she had said before going. "An operation is impossible; it's a complicated area. There is a change you could loose all senses in your right arm. Not only pain flows through nerves, commands from your brain do as well. Worst case scenario, you could loose your entire arm."

A lifetime without his right arm. A lifetime without Riding Duel. A lifetime without the wind on his face.

"Damn!" Crow shouted, angry, desperate. His left hand hit the bench he was on. "That means I'll be in pain for the rest of my life." That was better than loosing an arm, right? He wondered. The morphine would fade away and he would feel the real pain really soon; that made him anxious. It was too early to choose. "Damn." His thoughts were like knives. Crow looked up, trying not to cry, dismissing the knives. "Man. What happened to the sky? It wasn't like this in the morning. The clouds are starting to gather. It will rain really soon."

Crow got up from the bench and walked to the hallway to shield from the cold. It was really cold, colder than any other day.

"What should I do?" Crow said to no one as he hit the wall with the left fist. How could he tell the news to his friends? How should he tell the kids about his injury? "The kids." That was what really hurt him, that sad look on the children's faces. "What a pathetic big brother I turned out to be. I don't deserve their support, or the flag they did with their hands, or they calling me onii-chan." He didn't want to cry. He tried to repress the tears, but he couldn't.

Across the white hallway Crow sat with his back against one of the wall, staring at the empty rooms, sobbing in silence. He wondered how Martha was doing, and Saiga and grandpa Tetsuzo back at Martha's place. Were they having fun? Maybe there were. After all that had happened to them, they should. Yeah, they should be happy… Crow wondered what they would say if they knew about his condition, about the missing member of Team 5D's, about the unpaid hospital's bill… the accident, the arm, the pain. It was all Yusei's fault! The arm, the pain, the hate, he wanted to cry. He wanted to blame him. But he couldn't, because it wasn't Yusei's fault.

"Damn, it is hard to imagine a hospital more silent than this one," Crow said, wiping the tears, forcing a smile. "So much for the entertainment I was expecting." Crow fell silent as he looked at his lifeless arm, wrapped in bands. "…Is hard to think about something else, eh? Maybe I can find a place to cry a little more…"

"Is something wrong, Crow?" a familiar voice asked.

Crow looked up. He got up from the floor, switching thoughts. "Bruno. What are you doing here?"

"I feel a little dizzy. I asked the guys if I could go for a walk. Usually, it calms me after a while." Bruno caressed his head. He seemed quite sleepy. "Sometimes when I had these headaches, I think more clearly."

That was indeed weird, Crow thought. "Maybe the walking is what helps you think and not the headache." Crow tried to sound cheerful with his smile and energy. Bruno bought it. "Who is in the room right now?"

"Eh… let me think." Bruno raised his hand and started to count. "Jack and Carly left while you were sleeping; so who are left are Aki, Ruka and Rua, Misty and Kiryu." Bruno looked at his fingers. "Five total. Well, there's also Nicko and West. Seven total then!"

That was no good. Crow wanted to return to his room, to close his eyes and cry in silence. He couldn't do it with so many people. "Bruno, did you find something about those missing videos from Security? You were investigating the case last night."

Bruno looked surprised at first, but then he seemed to remember. "Yes. I traced the command back to the source. Well, in a way. The order came from the same backdoor Yusei and I found and used to access Security's archive."

So much complicated, Crow said to himself. Bruno seemed to forget that he didn't really understand any of that. Wait… "You mean Yusei could have been the one who deleted the videos?"

Bruno lowered his head, thinking. "I started with that hypothesis, but somehow that didn't lead me to something specific. I mean, the steps this person used to access weren't what Yusei would use."

"So, you had been searching for this new person?"

"Yes. And to tell you the truth, Crow. I think I found the person who would use the exact same steps this new person used."

"So, who was it?"

"It was me."

"Eh?" Crow took more than a moment to grasp the meaning. "So, you were helping Yusei. That means you know where he is?"

Bruno put his hand in from of him, defending himself. "I don't know! It wasn't me, I swear! But I can't remember…! Wait, aren't you mad at me?"

Of course he was. He should be angry at him, Crow knew, but he couldn't. "I'm so pathetic." He could not be angry with the drug on his system, not with the depression he had. "Forget it," he said at Bruno's surprised face. He just wanted to die.

"Ok, if you said that you're not angry…" said Bruno, sighting in relief. "I didn't tell anyone about this, but I think all this that is happening has something to do with my memory," said Bruno. "Sometimes I feel I can explain everything. Mmm, is like having a dream; I know I had a wonderful dream, I sure am, but when I try to recall it… If only I could… ahhh." Bruno held his head with both hands, his eyes closed. "It's the headache again. It happens when I think too much. I'm sorry."

"Maybe you should see Hikari-sensei."

Crow met Bruno's gaze after a moment. Bruno looked erratic, his eyes filled with a strange glow. "I should go outside," Bruno said as he lowered his eyes. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait, Bruno. Your eyes!" Crow went and tried to reach him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Bruno wasn't there anymore. "Bruno? Where did you go?" That was weird, Crow thought. Bruno was just there in the hallway a heartbeat before. Did Bruno just vanish when Crow blinked? Or did he disappear when the day turned to night? "Eh? Is night already?" Crow looked at the entrance door. It was pitch black outside. "What a hell is happening? And why is so dark in here?"

Then Crow felt it; a sharp pain, traveling through his right arm, killing all other thoughts.

"AHHH!" Crow went down to the floor holding his arm. "DAMN! MY ARM!" His arm was burning, bend in an unnatural position. "SOMEONE!" He heard his arms breaking like glass, and then his legs, and his head. "HELP ME!" Another pulse of unbearable pain crossed all his body, making him loose control of all movement. And as his body drew closer to the cold floor, his whole world grew darker. "HELP! YUSEI! DOCTOR! ANYONE!"

As soon as Crow's face hit the floor, all became quite. The coldness invaded him as he screamed in silence for air, desperately calling for someone, for something; feeling the heartbeat on his head, hammering his every thought.

"…Please… Help…" he managed to say with the last ounce of air.

And suddenly, Crow heard it: something approaching, a sound echoing in the distance, coming closer and closer, filling the air. "Are you sleeping? Eh? Can you hear me?" asked a faceless voice in the dark, a female's voice. "Hey! Are you okay? Oh my God! Hang in there, I'll take you with Hikari!" the voice said once again, closer to him.

Crow felt how his body rose from the floor. His left arm surrounded the neck of the faceless woman, a thin but strong neck, while her arms held his waist. She felt so strong Crow could hardly believe that it was a woman who was holding him. She said some little words that sounded so gorgeous on her lips, and after a moment, Crow's legs were moving against his will.

"Ahh…" Crow called to the voice. He must have looked so pathetic crawling in the floor like an animal, begging for mercy. Yet someone, somehow, had come to save him, to ease his pain. But who? And why? "...Help me… It hurts more if you… stay silent," Crow said, not sure why he had said it. His body wasn't obeying him anymore. He felt weak and dizzy, at the end of the line. "P-Please…" But the sound of her voice was the only thing that held his reality. Who was she? And why was she helping him? "Say something… before I pass out…"

"Eh? Don't talk. We're almost there," the voice said, more surprised than annoyed. "Hey, don't die on me, ok?"

Crow knew he was at the edge of the abyss, he couldn't hold his thoughts anymore. His head felt lighter as all the darkness kept spinning around him. He felt so dizzy he wanted to throw up and lie lifeless on the floor again, let all others things disappear… But that voice. That voice was the only thing helping him. It was so calm and peaceful and beautiful, so full of hope. "…Please… say something…" he said as he used his left hand to touch the face of his rescuer. Her face felt cold and shaky, like a statue,; and then he felt nothing. "…Please… before I pass out… Say… I like your voice…"

But before she could say something, Crow fell into a dream.

And when he woke up, he was somewhere else. Three white walls and a gray ceiling, bathed by artificial light.

"Crow-san, does your arm hurt?"

Crow saw the doctor, Hikari-sensei, sat next to his bed. She had a weak smile and worries under her eyes. After see Crow's expression, she sighed, looking relieve. She took Crow's arm and used a needle to draw blood from his left arm. She did it so fast Crow didn't have time to feel or say a thing.

"Hey! You could have done that when I was unconscious!"

"I'm sorry, you woke up faster than I expected. You were unconscious for five minutes only."

Five minutes? That meant 'she' was still around. "Where is the woman that took me here?"

Hikari smiled. "Right to the point, I see." She went to the door and unlocked it. She stood there before opening it. "I'm sorry, Crow-san, but I don't know her. By the way, your friends are waiting on the other room. Do you want to see them?"

"Wait! Don't go!" He had the energy to scream, he realized. His arm hurt but a little; he must be under morphine again. That wasn't important now. "She seemed that she know you, sensei. Please, I must find her."

Hikari chuckled, covering her face with her mouth. She clapped her hands slightly while her cheeks were colored by a shade of red. "I'm sorry, Crow-san, but I have a special request from 'her' not to tell you anything. I'm sorry. I truly am." She smiled again, showing a fang or two. "You were unconscious a moment ago and the first thing you do after waking is ask for a woman? I didn't know Crow-san was that kind of man."

Now Crow was the one blushing. She did have a point. "No way! I wanted to say thanks, that's all!"

"Oh, I see, I see. You're the kind of man who says thanks to someone even before knowing if he's able to use his arm again." She was right, Crow thought. He didn't know the reason he was so interested in this woman. "Don't worry, I'll tell her our whole conversation. Maybe she'll find it amusing. She is single, you know."

Crow looked to one side. Maybe talking to the doctor wasn't the best idea. She had several faces, this gorgeous doctor, and Crow wondered if he had seen them all. Somehow, he didn't want to know. "Do whatever you want."

"I'm afraid I already did." She locked the door again and sat at his side. Her smile turned into a little grin. "Look over there." She pointed to the other side of the bed. There, up on a table, was a weird machine, blue and white and silver. It looked like a box with a lot of buttons and lights. "I know you collapsed from the pain, and as a good doctor I should have injected with the morphine once again. But I'm afraid I didn't do it."

"Eh?" That was weird. His arm felt a little hot, but nothing more. "My arm doesn't hurt, that means I'm healed?"

"Not a chance. Your pain never left, not even when you were unconscious. But here is the part I found interesting, and all thanks to 'her', the woman who saved your life." She raised a finger. "When this woman brought you here, she told me you didn't like silence. She told me you asked her for her voice. And then I thought maybe I could use an experimental treatment while you were unconscious."

"Experimental? You mean this machine?"

"Yes, I mean that machine. Hey, don't look so surprised; I didn't steal it from a spaceship. It's a stereo, a music stereo. Kaiba Corporation's finest. Anyway, to make the story short, I been treating your pain with music. Well, not now since you are awake."

"Music?" That was the last thing Crow was expecting. Sure, he liked music a lot, but he didn't know about this Music's Healing Power.

"Yes, music. It seems it work pretty well. At least your face tells me so… Anyway, I'll explain the marvelous details later. But first, I have to tell you, Crow-san: I'm afraid the treatment is expensive."

"Eh? But I don't have any money! I still can't pay the things you guys did before this treatment!" There was not a change he could pay it, at least not with the money he made. "That means I can't be cured?"

Hikari-sensei smiled. It seems she was enjoying herself. "Do not worry. Some woman paid for this treatment. And no, I can't tell you the details about her. You'll want to thank her before even recovering." She made another mischievous smile while her long black hair danced through her shoulders. "Well, maybe we're talking about two different woman now. Did you tell another woman you liked her voice?"

"Tsch!" Crow felt the heat rushing through his face. This doctor did have a second personality, one really annoyed him. "You are enjoying this, don't you? You and your faceless friend, the woman who helped me."

"Not at all. Not at all." She made a face that could deny that whole statement. She paused a moment before getting serious. "But Crow-san, there's a condition before I begin the treatment."

That took Crow by surprise; that serious look on her eyes. "And that is?"

Hikari took a sheet of paper and a pen and give it to Crow. What was she planning? Did she want him to right with his left hand? Did she want money? "Crow-san, there's a thing you can do for me. Can you get me the signature of Jack Atlas, please? And a photo?" she said, smiling, both cheeks completely red.

* * *

AnimeKiwi369: Sorry if this wasn't the 'update' you were expecting... nor the speed... But anyway, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you like the duel (It took me a while to make it thrilling)

FanficFemale: Thanks, is good to know I didn't screw up a good duel. Sorry if you were cheering for Yusei :S

Sherry Leblanc: Oh, someone new have joined, I'm so glad. To tell you the truth, I really liked Placido who, in the series, cursed the Crimson Dragon and Yusei and Yusei's father. But, in ths fic, Placido knew that Yusei's was not much for him, so he talked big. By the way, I really love Placido.

Deviltrigger Dante: I have only one thing to tell you: I'M SORRY! I REALLY AM! My inspiration usually falls behind when I'm not looking.

PsichoTeddyBear: I agree with you, man. Yusei is really invencible. I know he has a dragon and all, but I feel like the anime should have a little more of the "Yusei can lose" moments. I hope Team Ragnarok could show us how.

As for the horror, I still can't believe that I wrote "bounds" insted of "bonds", and so many times... Oh God.

* * *

Eh... I'm sorry. This chapter was supposed to be an easy intermission for the next important chapter... But it took me a lot of time, I don't know why. Almost a month, I can't believe it.

Well, moving on: I'm not really into this OC characters, so I ask for forgiveness if you didn't really like the screen-time the doctor had. Hikari-sensei will take her leave soon, so don't worry. She somehow got out of my control.

As for the the new woman who helped Crow, I'll not tell :) Well, I can tell you she'll appear sometime soon. Expect a pairing?

Guess this is all. Next chapter will feature Aki and maybe a duel, but definitely Aki... and some of the speed I was promising.

Also, thanks to everyone who added this fic to his Alert List and Favorite List. And a lot of thenks to you guys for reviewing. You're all awesome.


	12. Aki l 2

The DaedalusBridge stood tall over the waters of the Neo Domino City like a silent sentry. The bridge was an enormous entity made of wires and steel, a symbol of freedom built above the dreams of thousands. Born as whim from a single man, the bridge became a beacon of hope for the crying souls; and, at the end, the Daedalus Bridge filled a new page in history as the immortal memento of a link between the mighty and the hopeless.

"So much have changed," said Aki, suddenly oppressed by the shadow of the building above her. The First Bridge look imposing under the sun, the bridge that the Legendary D-Wheeler built with the help of Satellite's hands. Aki just glanced at it while riding her D-Wheel, but that was enough to feel the history trapped under its irons. "All of this was just the dream of a man, the power of thousands, and the will of a good person." Aki couldn't help but smile at that thought. "Yusei, you were a great part in this."

Something in her mind made a noise; the voice inside her snorted in disdain. "You never cared about Satellite, Izayoi-sama. You lived a luxurious life; you were smart, beautiful and powerful, never caring about others, my sweet Black Rose Witch. You can't lie to yourself, you know." Aki knew the voice wouldn't stop. Since she left the hospital, the voice has only grown louder and angrier. She knew she could handle it, it wasn't the first time, but she also knew she could not stop it… at least not for now. "Oh, a bad Izayoi you turned out to be. You always saying you cared about others, but that was a lie, wasn't it? The only thing you cared about was that good-for-nothing liar, right? No Rua, no Ruka, no Jack or the other useless from your team. It was Him, always Him, and only Him." The voice chuckled. "Did you remember that image in your dreams, that dream where you were lying next to him in a world mute and white? Were there any of this Satellite's scum in there? Or even your friends or your parents? Of course not! It was only Him!"

Despite the cruel words, Aki smiled. That brought an image to his mind. Didn't Yusei smile when she, as the Black Rose Witch, hurt him after the death of Divine? Didn't he accept her hatred and turned it to life? He did, and that was why she owed Yusei her life.

So much damage she had caused to him when she wore that mask, when she listened to the voice. And despite of that, Yusei welcomed her, as broken as she was. There she realized her true self was the one hiding; and the mask, the voice, was only a cover for her true feelings. She knew now that the real her was the one riding Black Rose Gale under the gray sky that day, and not the past that spoke in her head.

She owed Yusei for that; for his D-Wheel and friends too, for her new life. She had wanted to repay all his kindness, to not owe him anything, to walk away from the people she didn't deserve. But soon she realized she couldn't pay it all back, not in a million years… and that had frustrated her. She just wanted to go back, to not be a hindrance to anyone, to forget and re-do things without anyone but her.

At least that was she wanted until half a year ago. Until she found out the real feeling she had towards Yusei; that day in the highway, that day when she felt the same wind Yusei felt. She knew she didn't want to repay him. She knew she had changed.

She knew she just loved him.

"Wait for me, Yusei."

The display in her D-Wheel showed the Yusei's cell phone signal getting stronger; it was inside a huge building, under construction it seemed. And there it was also Kazama's signal, the one who stole his D-Wheel.

Aki still could not tell why both markers were one. That was weird. "Maybe Yusei found the D-Wheel and now he is waiting for the rightful owner." Or maybe not. "Wait. Didn't Kazama say that he was pursuing a man in white?" A man in white? Maybe Dark Glass? No. Ghost? No. Aki had never heard of someone like that.

"Oh, Izayoi-sama, you're missing the most crucial information," said the voice.

It had to be related in some way to the reason for Yusei's disappearance. Something he couldn't tell anyone in order to protect his friends. It did sound like him. Maybe a new enemy? No, she would have felt the birthmark reacting, she was sure. Someone from his past? A friend that he never talks about. Or maybe a long lost lover? Aki laughed at this thought. No, that wasn't Yusei at all… right?

The voice hit her head once again. "Of course he has another, he is The King after all, right? Maybe he is hiding her, I don't know, how about a blonde girl on a D-Wheel. Don't you think so, my jealous Black Rose Witch? They have so much in common, not like you." The voice made a pause, allowing its poison to set in. Aki didn't give an inch. "Fine, you don't have to answer. You know I love that side of you." It chuckled. "But as I said before, you're missing the most crucial information."

Again with the riddles. "And that is…?"

"That Security Officer said it, remember? He said that the one who attacked him was Yusei's enemy. So I ask you, Izayoi-sama. Why are still gazing at this bridge when your king and his enemy are in the same place?"

"Damn!" That hit her hard. She was just daydreaming.

That was unlike her.

She accelerated. It took her a heartbeat to cross the bridge, another to dismiss all her thoughts. She passed the bridge and entered the outskirts of Satellite. She made a turn in the corner and hastened once again; the map, the road, the hurry: that was all her world now.

"Haste! Make Haste!"

Aki reached a half-done, closed building. Her D-Wheel display showed how close she was to Yusei. Aki looked for an opening on the construction, but it was too early in the morning to be open. She cursed in a whisper, watching the sky fall with a silver curtain. Aki took a card from her deck. "Show yourself, Rose Tentacles!" A monster appeared before her D-Wheel, a green and red menace. "Thorn Whip!" The monster used its tentacles and launched an attack towards the iron fence at the entrance. The metal cried and bent and broke, and her monster disappeared with it.

"Breaking through someone's property. That is so like you, right?" the voice said.

She bit her lip until she felt the taste of blood. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Stop saying you know me!" But, hearing her reply, the voice only chuckled… Damn, you can't make the same mistakes again, she said to herself. Aki accelerated and crossed the entrance. Don't loose your mind! Don't listen to the voice!

As Aki rode through it, the insides of the building welcomed her dressed in darkness. The walls and columns in her way grew lifeless as she passed, and the sky hid from her behind stone and concrete. It was awfully quiet, with shadows dissipating by Black Rose Gale's light, with nothing but the sound of her D-Wheel.

Maybe that wasn't a good idea. No Aki, you must find Yusei, she said to herself. "Y-Yusei, where are you?" asked Aki, and her trembling voice echoed through the building. She went to her throat, looking down. Was she scared? "Yusei… I'm here, as you tell me to." She put her hand on her heart to calm it down; her heartbeats deafening her. Why was she so anxious? "I-I know you are here, Yusei. Please, say something."

But the building only answered with silence.

Aki felt the cold air surround her body; making it harder and harder to breath. Maybe she did have the wrong location. Maybe she was just mistaken. It was almost impossible for Yusei to be here.

"It maybe difficult for you king to be here, but how about the enemy? Isn't this a perfect location for a kidnapping or maybe, just maybe, a homicide?" asked the voice.

Aki heard her teeth clashing. "You know nothing, evil bastard! Shut up for once!"

The voice laughed now. Louder. Happier. "Oh… That was a good response, my Black Rose Witch. How much I have missed that hatred, that cry that came from your heart. Let that anger flow now that no one is watching you. Wouldn't you like that? How about if you use your dear powers and smash this pile of dirt and stones that frightens you so much and turn it to nothing but ashes?" The voice paused, moving from one point of her self to another. "Let me take control once…"

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT ME! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Don't listen, Aki! Don't listen to it! "You're just afraid!" No, don't say it! "You're afraid that Yusei will erase you like he did last time!" What are you doing? Don't talk! "I… I…"

But Aki was interrupted by a sudden flash of white. The room dressed itself in white, the columns and the floor, and all Aki's surroundings. Aki used her arms to shield her eyes, but the sudden movement threw her and Black Rose Gale to the floor. Aki landed with a sound and a curse, with her eyes closed and all her body under her D-Wheel's weight.

She heard something approaching her, fast steps on the floor. Was it the man in white? The light was still on her, so she could not tell. What would she do if that was Yusei's enemy? "Fight him. Hurt him. Destroy him!" cried the voice. No! No, you can't do it! Don't turn into Black Rose Witch again! Maybe… Maybe it was Yusei!

But before she could even blink again, she felt the weight of her D-Wheel leave her body.

"Are you alright?" asked a male figure, tall as a tower, his face covered by shadows.

"Ah… Yes." She fought for her words, giving her time to grasp more of this person that helped her. She had never seen a person like him before, at least not someone as tall as him, not with the silver hair and with such presence. Wait! Tall with silver hair? That couldn't be! "Goodwin?"

Someone talked behind the man. "Mizoguchi, did she hurt herself?" It was a female voice; someone Aki knew.

"No, ojou-sama. She doesn't seem hurt. Wait, Ojou-sama, your wounds. You shouldn't leave the D-Wheel."

"Silence, Mizoguchi! I want to see her."

The tall man retreated. "As you wish."

As the man bowed to Aki, she could glance at the man's face. It was older and more serious than Goodwin's, and his clothing were of a butler; torn and burned in some places. He had a deep voice, refined, but somehow full of emotion.

That was the only thing that Aki saw before meeting the new person; long hair and an imposing presence. "Sherry LeBlanc," said Aki, shielding her eyes until her pupils got used to the atmosphere. Aki gasped. "Your clothes… That burns."

Sherry's figure was hardly the same that Aki could remember. All her white and red suit was dirty and torn and burned; her long hair covering parts where her shirt couldn't. She had cuts all over her body, with blood painting her trembling knees. She breathed heavily, fighting for every ounce of air.

If this was Sherry, it was now a ghost of what once was.

"…Izayoi, I need your help."

Aki's inside voice spoke first. "What with this bitch? Did we come here looking for this good-for-nothing…?"

"Where is Yusei?" asked Aki. "Yusei send me a message asking for my help."

"No." Sherry took something from her pocket; a blue and yellow device: Yusei's cell phone. "I was the one who send you the massage."

"So. This bitch was the one who was after Yusei. If you ask me, she looks like a man in white. A possible enemy. Don't you think, Izayoi-sama?" said the voice once again.

"Why do you have his cell phone?"

"That's not important. I'll explain when we have time. Right now, Yusei is in danger." With a movement, she made Yusei's phone disappear inside her clothes.

Aki move her head a little and glanced at what was behind Sherry. The lights were blinding, but she could still tell what it was. "Wasn't that Kazama's D-Wheel." Her other side told her. It did look like a Security's D-Wheel. Wait! "Yeah! Yeah! Tell her! Or should I? Since you liked this girl."

Aki mouth clumped shut for a moment; her hands made a fist. "Did you attacked a Security's Officer to get that D-Wheel? I traced both signals, Yusei's and Kazama's here."

Sherry didn't even flinch. "That doesn't matter. As I said: Yusei is in danger. I need you in order to help him…" Sherry dropped her head and breathed heavily. She used one hand to cover her face.

"Ojou-sama!" Mizoguchi ran to Sherry, but she stopped him halfway of his sprint.

"Don't interrupt!"

"You can't give this worthless liar the benefit of the doubt, my Black Rose Witch. She was the one who attacked Kazama, that's quite obvious. Didn't Kazama warn you about a blonde girl too? She is just mesmerizing you with hollow lies. I smell a trap here. Why would she have Yusei's cell phone and Kazama's D-Wheel? Of course, to lure you in and your king here, of course. I'm pretty sure that Jack's emergency call was meant for Yusei, but unfortunately, you picked it up first," said the voice. Well, that made sense. Why would Sherry be here then? No. No. That can't be. The voice always lied. Sherry was a good person! "Don't be that way with me. I'm just trying to protect you. Wanted or not, I'm inside you since birth. I need to look for myself too. Besides, didn't this bitch tell you that you didn't understand Yusei's heart? That hurt you, a lot." It chuckled again. "Just a friendly remainder."

Lies, all lies! The voice wanted her to hate Sherry. She didn't do anything wrong. Except that comment in the highway. As the voice said, it did hurt her. "Sherry, have you been contacting Yusei?"

"Yes."

"Did you kidnap him?" Please say no. Please say no. "Did you hurt him?"

"That is not important," said Sherry.

And Aki's world came to a halt.

The voice chuckled. "See, I told you. She hurt Yusei, she sure did. With that body and aura of helplessness I'm sure that Yusei was an easy prey. Or maybe not. Look how his battle with Sherry left the blonde. All her clothes are torn and burned. He did resist, your king." A pause. "Is she a bitch? She sure is. She is prettier, and more Yusei's type. And she seemed to get along so well with him. That made us angry, didn't it? And jealous. Oh yes. Both were… But I understand you, right? Wasn't I the one who healed you that time? Look, Izayoi-sama. She is our enemy. She hurt Yusei and you know it. Look into your heart!"

No. That was not true. That is not true. That couldn't be.

But there wasn't another explanation. Sherry almost said she did it. She attacked Yusei. She attacked Kazama.

There wasn't another explanation.

That…

The truth was right there. Right?

Right.

Yes, it was as the voice had said. Sherry was the enemy. The enemy of Yusei and Kazama. Aki's enemy as well; the one who hurt her the most; the one who wanted Yusei all by herself. The man in white Aki was afraid of.

The voice was right.

Aki was right!

Aki got up, hands still closed. The light didn't blind her anymore, the surrounding didn't frightened anymore. She understood everything now; all the lies, all the secrets. Why was she such and stupid girl? "I was just a blind bitch." Aki jumped to her D-Wheel and took the Duel Disk wit ease. "Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!" she screamed as she let go of her repressed tears. The black and red dragon showed herself in a second; thorns invading everything; Aki's hatred in every petal. "Don't leave anything standing. DESTROY! "

The wind rose and the tears fell, drawing everything in a whirlwind of red and grey.

It felt good to hear the screams. It felt good to be out of the illusion. It felt good to let go of the mask.

* * *

AnimeKiwi369: After reading the chapter once more, I really feel bad for Crow. He is such a good kid. But oh, well... He reached the bottom, now the only way is up and up. Don't worry, he'll be just fine.

Sherry Leblanc: Thanks for the kind words :) I hope you like this chapter too.

Deviltrigger Dante: I'm afraid I let down another fan. But I have a good excuse. Keep on reading.

By the way, thanks for the compliments ^^

asianpandaxxx: Another new face on the review section. I'm glad you like it. Keep reading and reviewing, pretty please.

* * *

Well, well. It has become a ritual to enter this section with an apology... But wait! I have a reason now! MY COMPUTER BROKE!  
Yes, I know: lame, lame, lame. But is true.

That aside: I hope you guys like this chapter. I'm sorry if I made Aki a little over the top here; really sorry to the fans out there. I was expecting to end the chapter in a duel, but Aki crying in the center a whirlwind of petals and poison was just too aluring.

Sorry :(

Feel free to tell me anything. And I promise to update sooner.

By the way. God, what an awesome new opening and ending of 5D's! I confess, after watching the ending, I become a little more of an Aki x Yusei fan.

I miss Close to You though. ;_;


	13. Sherry

The soft rain made Sherry's wounds ache even more. The air of the highway rushed through her body, entwining with her blood, making all her body tremble. The air was cold, and grey and silent like a nightmare.

Sherry looked behind through her helmet. Between the rain and blood she could see the black and red D-Wheel approaching her, quiet as the dead, charged with a poisonous anger. "So, you couldn't hold her long Mizoguchi," she said to no one. Her lips tasted like metal, a remainder of how her nerves were betraying her. "I didn't think she could have such power."

Escaping from the construction site had been just bloody. In a moment, Izayoi Aki had released a whirlwind of chaos and had caught Sherry by surprise. It had been something beyond control, a storm with thorns and curses and petals, blood and tears.

She looked the road ahead and wiped the rain from her helmet. Her hands were shaking, the same feeling when she escaped from the site, riding in a Security's D-Wheel. She put her hands back on the road and faced forward, but her vision still felt hazy. Maybe she was crying.

"Papa, I lost the card you gave me… to our enemies." No, there wasn't time to think of that. She had been worse and lived through it. Why was she thinking of that? The sight of the Machine Emperor was so frightening?

It was, at least in that moment. A white mechanical abomination. The symbol of everything that is wrong.

It was a force that took her for surprise. It shook her heart, ripped her clothes, burnt her apartment. "And stole Papa's card." That was the worst. "Papa. Mama." That was the most horrible mistake she could have made. "Damn!" She was thinking about it again. Sherry bit her lip again, tasting her blood.

She trusted that man in blue, Yusei, and now Aki. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Sherry had took Yusei's cell phone and had sent a message to the only person she thought she could trust, Izayoi Aki. Sherry still remembered Aki, shyly hiding behind Fudo Yusei's back that day on the highway, and thought she could help her and Yusei fight the man in white, Placido. Sherry had stolen the D-Wheel of the Security's Officer that followed Yusei since her own D-Wheel had been caught in the fire, and then had sent the message to Aki. Sherry then waited in the construction site for Aki, thinking over and over how she was going to explain everything to her.

But this Izayoi Aki now was a complete different person. The miracle she waited so long had betrayed her, chasing her now.

Sherry was left without any option but to run.

"To where?" she asked. "There isn't an option left. I lost my pride. I cried. I…" No. Don't think, feel the wind! Like Papa said: Know your steps! "I wasn't strong enough…" No! That didn't sound like her. That was the fear talking!

She raised a fist and hit the display with all her might. The new pain ran through her and consumed all the others. She let the cold air get into her lungs before closing her eyes.

Was she doing everything in her power to revert the situation? She asked herself.

The answer was clear: Of course not.

If she was alive, there was always a way. If she were to run, she would die.

It was just that simple.

How could she been so stupid and forget that?

Sherry hit the brakes and let the red figure get closer. "Izayoi Aki!" she said, not looking behind, feeling her heat returning. "This pursuit will not end until one of us retreats. I made a promise to myself not to give up, not to surrender. Izayoi Aki, if you have unfinished business with me, come! I'll gladly be your opponent." Sherry's own words made her smile.

Aki chuckled after stopping. She let go of her helmet before speaking. "Opponent? There're no opponents to the Black Rose Witch, only enemies."

"Black Rose Witch, you say? …So the rumors were true. You are the same person who participated in the Fortune Cup."

Aki covered her face with her hand, hiding her smile. "It hurt. It hurt to use the mask everyone called Izayoi Aki. I missed been this free; to feel this cold shower on my clothes, this sensation of relief that now surrounds me." Aki laugh again as she took the metallic ornament of her hair; red strings covering her face. "This treasure was given to me to suppress my powers, a gift from someone who I loved… But it was really a device that denied my whole existence!" Aki throw the ornament to the ground. It bounced and flew, disappearing between raindrops. "Everyone kept deceiving me! Divine lied to me! The Crimson Dragon used me! Yusei…" she laughed again at that name. "Ah, Yusei locked me up deep inside this body. Yes, I owe him very much."

Sherry was shocked, her pain eager to return. "Who are you? You weren't the one who saved me that day in the highway."

"I'm the same person, Sherry Leblanc. I'm Izayoi Aki, the one who doesn't think. The one who only feels. Free, boundless, real. The one who wants to hurt you, not to save you."

The true colors, Sherry said to herself. That didn't change a thing. If this was the real face of Aki, so be it. "I was deceived once again… Tsch, doesn't matter anymore." Sherry pointed her finger to Aki. "Very well, Izayoi Aki, I challenge you to a Duel. The looser will be at the opponent's mercy."

Aki moved her long hair to the back of her head, revealing a pair of dreadful brown eyes. "I accept it, your challenge, gladly," she said. She put her helmet and accelerated.

Sherry hit the button that appeared on the display of the D-Wheel. "Speed World 2, Set!"

"Duel Mode, on. Autopilot, standby. Lane Selection," said the robotic voice. "Warning, heavy thunderstorm is fast approaching; please proceed with caution. Safety Line is set in 4 minute 32 seconds; if the Duel is not concluded after time is out, Security shall be notified.

"Resuming search… Lane 32, Block R2 - Highway: Left Central." The display changed to the selected route. It was marked as a blue line just ahead. And after that, the screen showed the confirmation. "Authorization," the voice said.

Security shall be notified? Security had still unfinished business with Sherry; notifying them would only raise the heat to that incident at Security's Bureau. Besides, she would also have to explain why she was riding a Security's officer D-Wheel in the first place. Then again, why was she thinking about the consequences? That had never bothered her before.

4 minutes and 32 seconds, eh? "Better stay in the safe side. I'll finish this quickly then," Sherry said.

"Like I would let you!"

"Riding Duel! Acceleration!" Sherry and Aki cried, entering the Duel Lane.

"I'll take the first turn," said Sherry. "Draw!" Sherry looked at the card as the raindrops drifted from it. A monster to hold the lines, eh? "I summon Swift Horse of the Floral Knights in Defense Position –Lv3. Def 800." A blue portal opened besides Sherry, and a white armored horse came from it. "Since my monster has been Normal Summon, I can draw a card from my deck due to its effect." Sherry drew a card, she smiled at it, and escorted it to where her other cards were. "Next, I set two cards face-down. Turn End!"

"My turn!" said Aki. "Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 4000 SC: 1

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 1

"To been able to ride the wind, to go wherever my heart desires. This is true freedom… But first, to remove the obstacles!" Aki let her D-Wheel's engine howl. She had been driving closer and closer to Sherry since the beginning, but now she was keeping distance. "First, I activate Speed Spell – Overboost. I gain 4 Speed Counters until the End Phase."

Aki's SC: 5

"Secondly, I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" A blond angel emerged from the card, shielding Aki's body from the rain. "If I have 2 or more Speed Counters, I draw two cards from my deck and discard a card to the graveyard. Now, I summon tuner monster Night-Rose Knight –Lv3. Atk 1000." Amethyst and silver met in the portal besides Aki, and from it appeared an armored knight with emerald eyes. "When Night-Rose Knight is successfully summoned, I can Special Summon from my hand a Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from my hand. Appear before me, Evil Thorn –Lv1. Atk 100." A green and blue monster flew besides Aki; it exterior surrounded by thorns. "By releasing this card, I can inflict 300 points of damage to my opponent. Go!"

After Aki's monster disappeared, a thousand thorns covered the road. Like daggers they flew and scattered everywhere, and painted the raindrops with Sherry's blood. "AHH!" Sherry cried as the thorns hit her naked back, tearing flesh and soul alike. "…This is… the power of a Psychic Duelist."

Sherry's LP: 3700

Aki chuckled and continued. "Due to Evil Thorn effect, I can now Special Summon two Evil Thorns from my deck in Attack Position –Lv1. Atk 100." Twin monsters were summoned to Aki's side, blue and green; the very image of the one released. "However, this monster's effect can't be activated. I activate, from my graveyard, the monster effect of Dark Verdure that was discarted due to Speed Spell – Angel Baton; if I control a tuner monster I can Special Summon Dark Verdure to the field in Attack Position. Show yourself, Dark Verdure –Lv2. Atk 0." Two green leaves grew from the road as Aki called for her monster; from its leaves a pair of sinister eyes could be seen.

Sherry looked back and saw the four monsters drawing closer. "Synchro Summon?"

"Precisely. I'm tuning Level 1, Evil Thorn, Level 1, Evil Thorn, Level 2, Dark Verdure with Level 3, Black-Rose Knight." Three green rings enclosed Aki; four stars shined within. _"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon!" _(1+1+2+3=7)_ "Appear now, _Black Rose Dragon!" –Lv7. Atk 2400.

Red petals engulfed the rain, black whips surrounded everything. A dark serpent-like creature wailed in agony. Black Rose Dragon had appeared.

The price of beauty, Sherry thought, gazing at the dragon.

"Not yet! From my hand I activate Speed Spell – Summon Speeder! If I have 4 or more Speed Counters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from my hand. To my side, Phoenixian Seed! –Lv2. Atk 800." The Seed of Fire materialized on the road; fire leaves and a malevolent eye. "By releasing this card, I can Special Summon this card from my hand: Bloom, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis! –Lv8. Atk 2200." Gold and crimson emerged from the earth in form of half a burning bird, half a poisonous flower.

"Two powerful monsters in one turn; an all-out attack. Did she want me at her mercy so badly?"

"I activate Black Rose Dragon Special Effect. By removing a Plant-Type monster from my graveyard, I can change your Swift Horse of the Floral Knights –Def 800 to Attack Position and lower its Attack Points to 0 until the End Phase. I remove Evil Thorn from play. Go, Rose Restriction!" Black Rose Dragon shot it black whips to Sherry's monster, entangling it with thorns. Her warhorse cried and fought, but was overwhelmed by the dragon's strength. "Now, Black Rose Dragon –Atk 2400, attack Swift Horse of the Floral Knights! –Atk 0. Black Rose Flare!"

Aki's dragon drew breath as its dark energy gathered.

So predictable. "Reverse Card open!" Sherry replied. "Floral Shield!" Cyan petals came forth and become a shield, absorbing Black Rose Dragon's attack. "This card can be activated when an opponent monster declares an attack. It negates the attack and let me draw a card. As you can see Izayoi, flowers can also be a maiden's shield."

Aki grinned in disdain. "Impressive. Battle Phase still continues though! Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis –Atk 2200, attack her monster!" Aki's monster dashed forward at great speed, surrounding itself with flames. "Macro Pyre!"

Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis went through Sherry's monster. After a heartbeat, the monster fall to its knees, incinerated, and disappeared.

"Trap Card open! Guard Block!" retorted Sherry. "The Battle Damage I take from an instance of attack becomes 0. Next, I can draw a card as a part of its effect."

Aki wasn't amused. "Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is destroyed after the battle." Aki's monster glowed bright, leaving countless yellow fragments as it vanished. "When Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is destroyed, it inflicts 800 damage to the opponent. Funeral Pyre!"

The projectiles flew forward, golden bullets hissing in the wind.

"AHH!" Sherry tried not to scream at the impact, but the pain was too great to do so. Her back ached and burned, her knees trembled as the bullets hit all her body. "…So much hate… If I weren't this hurt I…" That last hit stole the little air she had in her lungs.

Sherry's LP: 2900

"Turn End," said Aki with a smirk. "During my End Phase, I can remove from play a Plant-Type monster from my graveyard and Special Summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in Defense Position. I remove Phoenixian Seed from the game. Be reborn, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis! –Def 0." Aki's monster reappeared on the field; wings crossed. "Due to Speed Spell – Overboost, my Speed Counters are reduced to 1 during my End Phase."

Aki's SC: 1

Two monsters on the opposite field, Black Rose Dragon –Lv7. Atk 2400, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis –Lv8. Def 0; none on Sherry's side. No reverse cards on either of the fields. No cards on Sherry's hand that could make a direct comeback.

But also, there was another thing…

Sherry drew breath. The pain lasted a second and disappeared. Her body was at her limit. "My turn. Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 2900 SC: 2

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 2

There was something that had caught Sherry's attention during Aki's turn.

Even before meeting Yusei, Sherry knew about the legendary Signers. She had gathered every piece of information about them, about their objectives and birthmarks, but more importantly, about their dragons. Stardust Dragon, Red Demon's Dragon, Ancient Fairy Dragon, Black Rose Dragon. She knew about their strength and history, appearance and effects.

Then why hadn't Aki activated Black Rose Dragon's effect when she summoned it?

Aki could have destroyed every card on both sides as part of her dragon's effect, and then summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis to carry out a Direct Attack; a sacrifice to justify the use of her six cards.

Then why? Was Aki underestimating Sherry? Was that unintentional? Was she planning something else? Why avoid the best course of action?

"…It can't be. That was not a mistake." Sherry looked back and saw Aki's smile through the raindrops. A grin filled with cruelty, lips shining with the glow of joy. "Such killing intent."

Was Aki really toying with Sherry? Was she enjoying Sherry's suffering that much? The wind told Sherry that too. When she closed her eyes, the only thing she could feel was that aura behind her back, closer and closer.

Aki is just reflecting her emotions on her duel. She spent every single card on one feeling.

If that was the case, then Sherry could have found the key to win the duel.

"I summon Sacred Knight Jeanne –Lv4. Atk 1900." A battle maiden came into sight, a knight bearing a silver plate, wielding Sherry's resolve; golden hair behind a helmet, gorgeous green eyes as her vanguard. "Go my monster, attack Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis! –Def 0." The silver knight raised her hand, and from it materialized a sword. The knight charged. "Sacred Knight Jeanne loose 300 attack points when she attacks. Now, Sacred Knight Jeanne –Atk 1600. Sacred Decision!"

The knight charged and kicked Aki's monster, sending it forward. The knight jumped and dived for the monster; sword at eye level. She pierced the monster, destroying it before landing.

"Have you forgotten Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis?" asked Aki. "When my monster is destroyed, it inflicts 800 damage to my opponent."

The golden bullets flew once again. They stroke faster and harder, but Sherry was able to withstand it. She no longer felt the same pain as she did before. "I knew it, my body is shutting down. My mind can't hold the pain much longer," said Sherry. "But if I don't loose consciousness, I'll win."

Sherry's LP: 2100.

Everything is into motion now. "I set a card face down. Turn End!"

Aki sped up and reach Sherry's side. "Brave words. I see that you no longer hesitate. You don't mumble. You don't have trouble breathing. You even said that you'll win…" Aki smiled. "You are really interesting! Let see if your mind can keep up! Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 2100 SC: 3

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 3

"Black Rose Dragon –Atk 2400, attack her Sacred Knight Jeanne –Atk 1900 with Black Rose Flare!"

Dark petals gathered and flew towards the knight. The knight swung her sword as she shielded from the attack, but slowly the petals grew closer, and in the end, the knight fell to her knees, defeated.

"Trap Card open!" said Sherry. "Guard Block! The Battle Damage I take from an instance of attack becomes 0. I draw a card afterwards."

Aki's expression suddenly changed. "Tsch. The same trick again."

"When Sacred Knight Jeanne is destroyed, I can send a card to the graveyard to return a Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster to my hand. I discard Apprentice Knight to the graveyard and return Swift Horse of the Floral Knights to my hand."

Aki mad a grimace, then laughed. "Interesting. I set a card face down. At my End Phase, by removing Evil Thorn from the graveyard, I can summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in Defense Position –Def 0. Turn End."

"My turn then! Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 2100 SC: 4

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 4

Good. Sherry had 4 Speed Counters now, her monster was back, and she had drawn a good card. "I summon Swift Horse of the Floral Knights –Lv3. Atk 400." Her monster reappeared on the field, it cried and kicked, angry at Aki's monsters. "Next, I draw a card thanks to its effect." Sherry looked at the new card and smiled; another good card. "Now, Swift Horse of the Floral Knights –Atk 400, attack Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis. Chariot Charge!"

"Again? You know you'll receive damage either way," said Aki as the horse destroyed her monster.

Of course I know, Sherry thought. But by destroying Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in my turn, Aki can't use it on her Battle Phase since her monster revives at the end of her turn. "This will be the last time you'll inflict damage to me, Izayoi Aki!"

"Oh, really? Really? REALLY? Interesting, really interesting. When Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is destroyed, it can inflict 800 damage to my opponent. Go, my monster, wipe that smile of that bloody face, Funeral Pyre!"

The fragments flew and hit Sherry's back, pushing her face towards the D-Wheel's display. She felt the coldness of the screen on her face and her long hair touching her breasts. But then, she felt nothing, not even the presence of the rain.

Sherry's LP: 1300

"I activate Speed Spell – Speed Fusion. If I have 4 or more Speed Counters, I can send Material Monster from my field or my hand to the graveyard to summon a Fusion Monster from my extra deck that shares the same Material Monsters. I fuse Sacred Knight Spear-Bearer from my hand and Swift Horse of the Floral Knights. Appear now, Centaurumina! –Lv6. Atk 2200." A blue portal opened under the rain, and from it emerged half an armored beast, half a gorgeous knight. "I set four cards face down. Turn End! Come, Izayoi. From now on, this will be my victory."

3 more minutes and Security would be behind Sherry's trail. She had to make haste.

"Black Rose Dragon and a reverse card against my Centaurumina and four trap cards," Sherry whispered. "If I can survive this turn, I can win. Wind, I leave it to you now; carry my heart to safety; let me reach Yusei once again."

Aki accelerated and placed herself next to Sherry. She wasn't smiling anymore. "How dare you say you will win? I'll make you suffer, and suffer, and then I'll kill you! You have no idea how are you dealing with! I'm Izayoi Aki, the monster!"

"Monster?" Sherry replied, raindrop soaking her skin.

"Yes, my father called me that when I was little. I was born that day. Funny, isn't it…?" Aki looked back at the road. "Enough of this! Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 1300 SC: 5

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 5

Aki barely look at the card she drew; there was something else on her mind. "Black Rose Dragon –Atk 2400, attack Centaurumina –Atk 2200. Black Rose Flare!"

"Reverse Card open! Floral Shield! I negate Black Rose Dragon attack and I draw a card from my deck!"

"Again? Useless bitch, you keep shielding under those petals. But, guess what? You are almost out of options, almost near the safety line! I set a card face down. At my End Phase, I revive Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis –Def 0 by removing Dark Verdure from the game. Turn End!"

That was good, Sherry thought. That taunt at the end of Sherry's turn had made Aki loose all consciousness, all grasp with the reality. When you're on a Riding Duel, calm and respect are the most essential traits; The Way of the Wind.

Now is the time. Please, body of mine, resist a little more. "Draw," said Sherry.

Sherry's LP: 1300 SC: 6

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 6

"Battle! Centaurumina –Atk 2200, attack Black Rose –Atk 2400! Graceful Blade!"

Sherry's monster charge, sword in hand, towards Aki's dragon.

"Fool. Did you loose your mind already? Every thought has left your body through those wounds! Show her true despair, my dragon!"

Black Rose Dragon raised its head and gathered the dark energy around its mouth. It whirled and hissed and pierced the monster heart, turning the knight in nothing but a memory.

Sherry didn't feel the impact, or the recoil, or the pain. "Trap Card open! Freedom Release!" Sherry's card rose and turned. An image of two men breaking from a prision, crying with happines, could be seen. A fitting image, though Sherry. "If one of my moster is destroyed by battle, I can return all monster to their owner's deck!"

"You bastard!" screamed Aki. Her monsters cursed and cried, and disappeared into the rain.

Sherry smiled. "Since Synchro Monster can't return to the deck, they are sent to the graveyard instead. Also, you can't use Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis Special Effect now that it's in your deck." Still not done. "Next, Reverse Card open! Afterglow of a Miracle!" A silver ray was in the card, white birds flying around it. "I can Special Summon a monster destroyed by battle this turn."

Aki drew closer. Through her helmet, a grin could be seen. "An opening! Trap activated! Blossom Bomber!" Aki's card turned and glowed, and from it came a burst of red petals. "I can activate this card if one of my Plant-Type monsters destroys a monster in battle. This card inflicts damage to my opponent equal to the original Attack Points of the monster destroyed!"

"EH?" That took Sherry by surprise. Aki was expecting that move! Aki knew about Centaurumina Special Effect to negate a trap card per turn...! "Trap Card open!" scream Sherry, angry at herself. "Half Shield!"

The stream of petals rushed through the air and met Sherry's shield. At contact, the petals bounced and scattered, but a part of them found its way to Sherry.

"AHH!" Sherry screamed and cursed. The petals hit her back and burned part of her clothes. She could feel the fire and her wounds aching. "I… I…" She felt the air leaving her lunges. "…Why…? This pain…" She caught over her body, a mixture of tears and blood. "…When I activate this card I can… halve all effect damage and Battle Damage I take this turn… I take 100 damage from battle and 1100 from your Trap Card…"

Sherry's LP: 200

Sherry could still fight. Aki didn't have monsters, and due to Afterglow of a Miracle she could revive Centaurumina...

"…Like I would let this opportunity go to waste. Continuous Trap open!" cried Aki. "Death Petal Countdown!" Aki's card raised and glowed. "During my End Phase, I can remove a Plant-Type monster form my graveyard and inflict 300 damage to my opponent. Besides, if in my graveyard there are no Plant-Type monsters, I can inflict 300 damage for every Plant-Type monster removed from the game."

To maintain Black Rose Dragon and Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis all this time. That was her plan. Remove all the monsters from her graveyard. "You… You fooled me."

"Did I? I think you fooled yourself thinking I wasn't a duelist. What did you say about not been able to inflict damage upon you? Currently I have Evil Thorn and Black Rose Dragon in my graveyard, so in my next turn you'll receive 300 points of damage. Even if you can prevent it, I can go one another turn, and another. Besides, you already crossed the Safety Line; if I draw a Speed Spell you'll lose even before my End Phase."

Aki was right. Sherry had bet in a strategy to remove all her Plant-Type monsters, forcing Aki to not been able to resurrect any of her monsters.

But that was what Aki wanted. That Continuous Trap was her Ace Card after all.

Sherry had no Reverse Cards left and now she had ended the Battle Phase. Even if she could summon her Ace Monster, Fleur de Chevalier, her monster would not be able to counter Aki's Continous Trap. Sherry had kept the lockdown to maximun, but the moment she had lost Centaurumina was when the lock broke down.

Sherry wanted to cry. She was mad at herself more than she was at Aki. "2 more minutes and I'll be Security's target, or I'll be dead by Izayoi Aki's scorn. Mama, Papa, Mizoguchi, Yusei, I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough. I blame Yliaster, but I was my worst enemy. I just wanted…"

But suddenly, she heard a male voice that came from the D-Wheel. "Hang in there, Sherry LeBlanc. I'm closing in to your position."

Sherry looked at the display, astonished. An unknown signal had sent her a message. Was he an ally? What did he want with her?

Aki moved her D-Wheel and hit Sherry from behind. "Is your turn over?"

Sherry didn't look back. "I'll do as he said. There's no other option." Sherry drew breath and closed her eyes. "Thanks to the effect of Afterglow of a Miracle, I can Special Summon a monster destroyed by battle this turn. Be revived, Centaurumina –Atk 2200." Sherry's monster emerged from the Trap Card. It turned and faced Aki. "Next, I summon Tuner monster Fleur Synchron –Lv2. Atk 400." A portal opened to her side, and from it came monster that resembled a little flower.

"Synchro Summon? Is this a joke?"

"I'm tuning Level 6, Centaurumina with Level 2, Flue Synchron." Two green rings shielded the rain. Six stars warmed Sherry's heart. "_My body that's faster than the speed of light, the time for Revolution has come! Bring victory into my hands! Synchro Summon!" _(6+2=8) "_Shine, _Fleur de Chevalier!" –Lv8. Atk 2700.

Silver and red congregated in a whirlwind of white petals, and from it appeared Sherry's monster; a knight, a maiden; hope.

"More of a knight than I could ever hope to be." Sherry looked back. Behind, she only saw raindrops falling, hiding everything like a curtain. Sherry looked down at her wounds and let go of her card. "…Turn End."

"A useless attempt. Is my turn," said Aki. She put her hand on the Deck. "Draw!"

But an electronic voice interrupted Aki. The display changed to a warning. "Battle Royal Mode on," said the voice that came from the D-Wheel. "Switching to Battle Royal Mode."

"Battle Royal Mode? What is this?" asked Aki.

Sherry heard something approaching at great speed; a blue figure came rushing through the rain. A man in blue with a helmet that covered his eyes, riding a long and blue D-Wheel. "Sherry LeBlanc, I finally found you," he said as he reached Sherry's D-Wheel

The man in blue! The one who said Sherry that she had to recruit Yusei! "Who are you? Why are you here?"

"We will talk later. First, we must stop Izayoi Aki's rampage," said the man, his expression hard to read. "She has to come with us to restore the Crimson Dragon seal in her heart."

Aki pointed at the man, angry, almost shouting. "You are the man who dueled against Yusei. I know you. You were in that hotel's garage!"

"Draw!" said the man.

Sherry's LP: 200 SC: 7

Aki's LP: 4000 SC: 7

Dark Glass's LP: 4000 SC: 1

"I summon Tuner monster Tech Genus Cyber Magician SC-01 –Lv1. Atk 0." A silver magician came into view, red cape waving in the wind, a horned helm on his head. "If I use this card for a Synchro Summon, I can use the material from my hand by sending the monster to the graveyard. I send Tech Genus Rush Rhino BE-04 –Lv4 to the graveyard!" A burst of lightning illuminated the road and Dark Glass's monster disappeared. "_Synchro Flight Control! Limiter Removal, Level Five, Booster Injection 120%. Recovery Network Range Updated! All Clear! Go! Synchro Summon!"_ (1+4=5) "_Come on! _Tech Genus Power Gladiator WAX-1000!" –Lv5. Atk 2300

A pillar of light descended from the troubled sky. The light hit the man and made Sherry's vision go white, forcing her to look to the side. When she looked back, she saw the man's monster. A gladiator in a green armor, carrying an axe.

The man made a turn and faced Aki. "Go, Tech Genus Power Gladiator WAX-1000, Direct Attack! –Atk 2300."

The monster charged at Aki. It jumped and descended with an outstanding momentum.

Aki cursed as the attack hit her. She loose control of the D-Wheel for a heartbeat, but finally recovered. "Two on one, eh? Fine. I'll make both of you suffer!"

Aki's LP: 1700

"I set a card face down. Turn End."

"My turn!" said Aki. "Draw!"

Sherry's LP: 200 SC: 8

Aki's LP: 1700 SC: 8

Dark Glass's LP: 4000 SC: 2

The man in blue raised his hand. "Trap Card open! Synchro Prominence!" Red flames came from the card, dancing around the man. "I can inflict 1000 damage to an opponent for every Synchro Monster on the field. Currently there two monsters: Fleur de Chevalier and Tech Genus Power Gladiator WAX-1000; so I can inflict 2000 points of damage. Go!"

The flame raced towards Aki. She moved her hand to her head in order to be shielded from the impact. "YOU BASTARDS!"

Sherry's LP: 200 SC: 8

Aki's LP: 0 SC: 8

Dark Glass's LP: 4000 SC: 2

Aki's D-Wheel made a sound, and white vapor came from it. She let go of her helmet and let the rain hit her hair. She got off of her D-Wheel, her eyes looking to no one. She tried to walk, but her hands went to the D-Wheel to regain balance. She went to say something, but she fainted in the middle of the highway.

* * *

Sherry Leblanc: I'm really glad you liked the chapter. Also, I'm pretty sure you're missing Believe in Nexus as much as I am.

asianpandaxxx: Thanks for the nice words ^^ Sorry for the ending (the dark time will pass), sorry for been late again.

Deviltrigger Dante: Next chapter is a different POV. I was thinking between Kiryu or Misty, don't know. But the thing I can tell you now is: Get Ready for some Team 5D's vs Team Unicorn.

AnimeKiwi369: n_n¿ Don't say things like that. I'm always thinking that I'm pushing to hard on the characters... Well, as long as you liked it.

FanficFemale: Sorry for the long update. I always wanted to see the old Aki in action. Guess the Dark Voice was a good addition. Also, I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

Sorry everyone, between collage and work and now... Rune Factory 3, this chapter became reaaaaally long (more than a month and 10 pages in Word!)

I spent a week thinking of how to make this duel packed with action, so I will need a little review in how a did it. Anyway, I used certain Trap Cards in Sherry's deck and Dark Glass's deck that originally were in Yusei's deck (Sherry's deck wasn't strong in traps material), so sorry for that.

Next stop is WRGP, Team 5D's vs Unicorn. Get ready! (This chapter will take less time, I promise).

Anyway, episodes 135 and 136 from 5D's are now my favorites episodes from this arc. Man, the plot is getting so much awesome that it will be harder to make Placido act as a villian in this fanfic from now on (just kidding).


	14. Crow l 3

"Everybody, listen!" said the MC, as excited as ever. "Today is the day we were all waiting for. After six month filled with expectations, WRGP's preliminary rounds are finally here!" The crowd at the stadium shouted for joy and whistled, all standing, clapping hands, waving their flags. "Directly from Group A, we present you the opening match: Team Unicorn versus Team 5D's!"

The crowd exploded in cheers. The camera made a turn from the MC and zoomed to the audience. "Team Unicorn won the Atlantic Cup, Team 5D's doesn't stand a chance," said a man to the camera, big blue eyes and a big smile. "But Team 5D's has the former king Jack Atlas and Fudo Yusei. They are strong!" retorted a girl as she covered her face with her Jack Atlas doll. "We only know how strong Andore is. I'm sure the other members of Team Unicorn are strong as well!" said the man once again. "Yes, you're right! I wonder what decks Breo and Jean have prepared for this match," said a third person, tall and blond and beautiful.

"Enough of Team Unicorn, dammit! They sure made an impact on people. It's as if we don't even exist!" screamed Crow as he held his shoulder. "Yusei could have won easily against Andore in that practice match. I'm sure. All the team was," he looked to the side. "Tsch! They're all excited about the match, and I'm still here in the hospital!" he said, throwing a pillow at the TV. The pillow flew in an arc and bounced when it hit the screen. Crow watched how the pillow landed far from the bed. "Screw this, I'm not picking you up, you evil instrument of torture," he said, fighting against the bed sheets for a good position for his body. "Oh man, this new room sucks."

The new room was two times darker, three times colder. It sure sucked, thought Crow. Maybe it could have been fine if I were alone in the room, or if autumn were to decide it was time to overthrow winter from its rightful throne. Man, it's so cold in here, he continued. Crow looked to the side and saw the gray screen that separated the room into two, but nothing beyond there. He wondered if the person at the other side could hear his complains or the screams of pain in his sleep. If I were at the other side, I may be terrified, he thought. Or maybe there wasn't a person there to begin with and he was worried over nothing.

"Yeah. Let's just forget about it and watch the match." Crow turned his head to the TV. He saw a young girl in a cowboy outfit showing a new Synchro Monster. "More commercials, eh? So much for the impetus…" It seemed he would have to wait.

Crow put his hands behind his head and leaned his back onto the bed. After a heartbeat, he found himself looking at the new white ceiling, eyes almost closing.

He sighed.

He really missed the ceiling of Room 302. All the long lights that no one cared to turn off, the black and purple wires describing weird patterns, the ceiling fan, the spider-webs at the corners, the sofa, the window to the yard, the vending machines.

He sighed again. "Who am I kidding?"

He missed his home and his job and the wind on his face, Martha, the kids and Blackbird, Yusei, Aki and the faceless woman who had saved him; not the old ceiling or the furniture or the suffocating smell of hospital sheets.

"Crow, how are you feeling?"

Crow lowered his eyes and immediately sat on the bed; back against the headboard. In front of him was Lancel, the doctor's assistant, with his shoulder-length brown hair, a white coat and a handsome smile. He had been running nonstop all morning, checking on Crow every hour, writing everything Crow said in a white notebook.

"I'm fine. Like the last time and the time before that."

Lancel sat at the bed and opened his notebook. "That's good. Your doctor will be glad." He raised his finger. "I know where you're going with this conversation, but we can't discharge you, not today. I'm sorry. Do you want Hikari-kun to beg you in tears again?"

"…You don't need to remain me, idiot," Crow said, feeling his cheeks burning. "She scared the hell out of me when she said I could die if I went to the WRGP."

"It's so like the doctor." Lancel made a smile. "She was just concerned, also she wanted to see the results of the treatment; she cares about you like family." Yeah, sure, thought Crow. She just liked to play with him and laugh in the shadows… But seeing her at his feet that morning, begging in a stream of tears, had made Crow loses all the power to retort. "How is the selection going? Do you need other albums?"

Crow extended his right hand and took an object from the table next to the bed. It was the portable music player that Hikari had given him. "I fall asleep while listening to this album. I'm quite sure I didn't have nightmares and my arm is felling quite good." Crow moved his right arm up and down, but the sudden movement brought back the burning sensation. "If I don't push myself too hard." He smiled awkwardly.

"Crow, those are excellent news!" Lancel took a pen from his pocket and started writing. "That means the music is indeed reacting with your body. The doctor was right all along; she is just amazing!"

Like I would buy that. "That old hag? She just brought some weird music and said: Listen and you will get better. She also said something about how my pain originates in my brain and not in my arm; something about bad synapses. Hey, don't nod like you understand! She was just saying random things to hook me up!"

Lancel was smiling. "Why is the treatment working then? The idea was to give you a selection of albums from different singers and then you would have to choose the one you liked more. That would mean that your brain works better with that specific music, so the probability of bad synapses is less likely to occur." Lancel put the open notebook on the bed and pointed at it. "This is a theory supported by quite a few doctors around the world. The music stimulates this part of the brain and it keeps working even after exposure". He pointed at drawing on the notebook and to some notes near it. Then he stopped. "Anyway, have you found the one?"

Crow felt the heat taking over his face. He gave the portable player to Lancel "…Don't know the name. As I said, I just fall asleep after two songs. I woke up when the album ended. I didn't have time to check the others, sorry."

Lancel looked at the device, intrigued. "Yukimaru? The ex-female idol?" His smile distorted a second, an expression of disbelief. "That will do then. If you said the pain did not return then that's a great step." He closed his notebook and walked to the door. "I'll inform the doctor right away. Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Of course I do." Crow crossed his arms. "How much time do I have to stay here?"

"Right to the point I see. Well, since all your bills are up to date thanks to the letter we received, I would say at least two more days for monitoring. You can go home after that."

"Well, some good news for a change…" The doctor's face came to his mind; the tears that stopped him from going to the match. "Where is the old hag? Did she entrust you this boring patient?"

Lancel frowned and walked out. He pointed at the TV before leaving.

WRPG. Yeah, I could have guessed that, thought Crow, returning his head to the sheets. On the TV was an aerial photograph of the highway and next to it Crow saw the MC. The image changed to the members of each team. "The first team to play is Team Unicorn, who won the Atlantic Cup! The great three: Andore, Breo, Jean! The opposite team, Team 5D's, are Jack Atlas, the Former King, and a new, mysterious D-Wheeler, the delight of the girls, Kyosuke Kiryu!" Almost as a reflex, female cheers overwhelmed the MC. When they calmed down, the MC began to explain the team arrangement for the WRGP.

Crow moved his body away from the TV, grabbed the earphones from the bed and hit the Play button on the portable player.

"Let's see," he whispered; the music filling every other thought. "Eight groups composed of three teams each. Each team on each group would have to fight two battles for a place in the finals. Only one team from each group is allowed to advance, and that is the one with most victories in the group. After all the battles have taken place, if two or more teams are in a tie at the first place, the team which inflicted more damage would advance."

That meant Team 5D's would have to face two battles: The first one against Team Unicorn, the one which was about to start, and Team White Wind afterwards.

"And we are 4000 Life Point short on the first match…" he murmured as the events of that rainy day crossed his mind; the pain eager to return. "Yeah, yeah. Let's forget about that too." Crow held the portable player to eye level. He hit the Pause button to illuminate the display before the music stopped. "Memento by Yukimaru," he read and sat and hit the button again, the burning on his shoulder disappearing. "Did Lancel realize that I've been listening to only this album the whole time?" he wondered. I guess my embarrassed face may have been proof enough… or the sweating… or the fact that I kept whispering the chorus of Memento every second he wasn't looking. "Damn, why can't I win against women?"

"Maybe Hogan-san knows when to forfeit victory for a greater good."

That voice made Crow's heart jump. It was a female voice, almost in harmony with the music; sweet and beautiful, like one of an angel. "Who is there?" was the only thing he could reply.

Crow heard a soft chuckle followed by a small silence. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you? I heard your monologue and it sounded really sad. I just wanted to say something to cheer you up." The voice grew weaker, the sweetness didn't. It was a woman. "Did I overdo it?"

Crow's heart raced even more. "You are on the other side of the screen, right?" With a sound, Crow hit his palm against his face. How could you have asked that?

"Yes, I am." She didn't seem to mind. "That makes me your roommate for the time being. It's nice to meet you, Hogan-san." She sounded as cheerful as a little girl, but her voice gave her age away: a woman in her mid twenties, mature and charming, easy with words; or at least that was what he wanted to believe. "Though I can't see you, I feel that you're a good person."

Crow placed his hand against his chest, trying to set the pace of the heartbeats. It was almost impossible. "T-Thanks for the kind words. I don't usually get praised so… sorry if I don't know how to react." He blushed, he knew already. Don't just say whichever thing that comes to your mind, you idiot!

The woman chuckled soundly; a sweet sound. "There's no need to thank me; I was just telling the truth." She paused, and after that, her voice felt a lot different. "I wanted to speak with Hogan-san since morning, but he was so immersed in his thoughts that I didn't know how. Like when he spoke of the rainy night, or his pain or his team, Team 5D's. I wanted to say something, anything, because Hogan-san sounded troubled, but I lacked the words." She made another pause. "What I wanted to say is, for been eavesdropping, for been silent to your troubles, I'm really sorry, Hogan-san."

So she had heard him, thought Crow; all the curses, all the screams, all the cries; everything. "You don't need to feel sorry. I'm a noisy bastard, you know." Crow cleared his throat before continuing, he felt calm. "This past few days has been quite troublesome for everyone. One of our friends went missing, I got into an accident, Aki's mother got injured…"

"Is this Aki your friend?" she interrupted.

"Yes. She was going to be our Second Wheeler for the WRGP, but her mother was injured two days ago while driving; it was the day of the heavy thunderstorm. We got a call from her in the morning. They are both now at a private hospital and Aki is taking care of her mother there… Aki sounded really sad. Well, that all happened in the day of her father's birthday." He looked down and sighed. He wasn't the only one who was troubled.

"I see…" The woman didn't reply right away. It seemed she was measuring her words. "I heard Fudo Yusei was going to be Team 5D's Last Wheeler but now he is unavailable as well. Were both incidents related?"

Crow was puzzled. "How did you know about Yusei?"

The woman chuckled despite the atmosphere. "This is a secret I can't tell; not for now, at least."

Well, it was no secret that Yusei was missing. Maybe she heard from Misty or Carly or Jack. "A week ago we had a practice match with Team Unicorn at the highway. That night, Yusei went for a walk and didn't come back until the next morning, the same morning he told us he was leaving." Crow's arm was burning again; that sensation that swallowed every other sense. He let go of a silent cry before hitting Repeat on the portable player. Yukimaru's voice started singing again, and his heart slowed down. "Jack held Yusei from his jacket and screamed like a beast while I tried to calm him down. Yusei left even after Jack went as far as threaten and curse him. He said we couldn't follow him."

"Oh, I didn't know, I'm really sorry… By your words, Yusei seemed like a close friend to you and Jack."

Crow made a fist. "He was close. He is. I still can't figure out why the bastard left. Me and Yusei and Jack, we promised to enter the WRGP as a team. We trained day after day for the tournament. We work in our D-Wheels for mouths… We were really expecting it!" He hit the bed as hard as he could, yet the anger remained. "But now Yusei and Aki are not here, both vanished into thin air. And look at me, I've been feeling fine since morning but I made a stupid promise to a doctor who had left to God knows where!" As his words became louder, so did the anger. "You're going to be okay, she said! But first you must rest! If she only knew that my friends and family are all that matters to me; the only thing I have left. I want to be with them! Not rotting here! Not now… I… Sometimes…" He whispered from this point on, as softly as he could. "Sometimes I wish I had lain lifeless on the floor at that time; just ignore that helping hand, that sweet voice. Forget everything…"

With a grunt, Crow stopped the sudden storm of words. He had forgotten about the woman he was addressing and, in a single moment, had thrown up everything on his mind to no one but himself.

But he feared that hadn't been the worst.

He had wished for a selfish request once again. Just to be alone in his sorrow, to not bother anyone with his problems. He wondered why the shadow had placed over his heart, showing its fangs in a moment like that, promising Crow a world where he was one and all; a place where no fate, no pain, nor love of hate could reach him… Was it because of what he had said before that this idea had returned? Was it because he was thinking about Yusei's actions and how much they had helped this desperate situation to become reality? Once again, the face of Yusei emerged from his troubled mind, and with a movement of his arm, Crow dismissed it, angry at something. I just wonder which words I'll be able to say to Yusei when we met once again… Somehow, he feared the answer.

Enough of this, he said to himself. Just concentrate on getting better! He rose from the bed and watched the title song change on the portable player: Leap of Faith by Yukimaru, one of his favorite songs of her. Following, he returned his back to the sheets, eyes on the hospital screen.

The woman hadn't reply yet. Was she resting? Was she overwhelmed by his endless babbling? "Maybe I should control my insolence a little better. I'm sorry you had to listen to it," he said to her as an improvised apology. He tried to smile to the screen, but felt really stupid after a second.

"Not at all. Not at all. I really like to listen to you." She was still there. She let her words set in before changing subjects. "I think you made the right choice, Hogan-san. For a doctor, the most important thing is the well-being of the patient. I think Hikari is very proud of your choice."

She was talking about the promise to the doctor, Crow though after a moment of confusion. Did she hear the rest of the monologue? Well, it didn't really matter, Crow's heart told him so. "Proud of me? The old hag? Please, don't say such embarrassing things."

She laughed softly. Was she smiling? Crow touched his lips: to his surprise, he was. "Oh, I forgot you don't like been complimented. Am I spoiling the Trick Star too much?" She made it sound like a rhetorical question, so before Crow could ask how she knew the nickname, she had already continued. "Since Hogan-san can't participate, Team 5D's will have to fight 12000 Life Points with 8000 Life Points, right? Numerically speaking, Team 5D's is at disadvantage; but as you know, strategy goes beyond sheer numbers alone. I'm more than sure your team will know how to deal with the unfavorable terrain. Don't you think so?"

She knew a lot this mysterious woman! But also, she was right.

Kiryu had come with a good contingency plan the night before and Crow had looked rather pleased with it; it was a great strategy, with instruction made step by step and damage control policies; all wrapped in astronomical risks. It was excellent news and a far better strategy. That was so like Kiryu.

Surprisingly, Jack had come with one strategy too, which took Crow by surprise and a while to digest. The plan had been… unique; too bad it needed more than 8000 Life Point and about 50 turns to work. I guess Jack was far more worried about Kazama's injuries than Team Unicorn's battle.

"Funny. Think of the Devil and the Devil appears."

Jack was on T.V, seated elegantly on The Wheel of Fortune, stoic as ever. Next to him was Andore in a blue and white suit, checking his D-Wheel screen. "The D-Wheelers are in position and waiting for the sign! Team Unicorn versus Team 5D's, the first match of the World Riding Duel Grand Prix is about to begin!" said the MC. Crow hit Pause on the player and turned up the volume of the T.V; Yukimaru would have to wait. "Let's set this tournament into overdrive, shall we? Speed World 2, Set! Riding Duel!"

"Good luck, you bastard."

The crowd rose from it seats and roared as one. "ACCELERATION!"

Jack took the lead with easiness, as it was to be expected; thanks to Bolger's engineers, Jack's D-Wheel dashed like a hunting beast and seized first place in a heartbeat. Jack made half a smile and looked back at Andore; he then said something that Crow couldn't not grasp, most sure something Jack-like, and positioned himself right in front of Andore, blocking his path. He was following the plan quite well.

Andore tried to break from the lock. He drifted the back of his D-Wheel and went for the left. Jack turned his head at the move, and drifted too. Jack accelerated to turn to the left and then got closer to Andore again; Jack always leading. In a second, Andore was locked again.

"Good one, Jack!" shouted Crow at the T.V. "He is up to something! Don't give him an inch!"

Andore didn't give up. He slowed down and went for the right.

"He is ours!" shout Crow again.

Jack didn't look back. He pushed the engine to its limit; his D-Wheel howled and gained a burst of speed. The distance between the two D-Wheelers grew tremendously in matters of seconds. Before anyone could realize, Jack had taken the first corner and the first move of the Duel.

The crowd came to a halt. Everyone watched as Andore was left behind. Jack had driven forward like a white lightning and had turned the corner in a flash. After realizing, everyone had exploded in cheers. Crow had done the same. "Kiryu was right on his prediction! They were aiming for the first turn and we counter it!"

"It's decided! After a superb show of driving skills, Team 5D's take the first turn!" said the MC.

"Don't think that simple Overboost System can give you the first move! You have no right to underestimate Jack Atlas at all! Duel!" shouted Jack as he drew the cards.

"It seems like Hogan-san has found his spirit back. You were so troubled before, so helpless and small that I thought you could fit into my palm… Did something happen?" asked the woman behind the hospital screen.

Those words struck Crow. She sounded like a different person for a moment. He only gave a thought to it and then replied. "Kiryu came with a hypothesis last night. He was investigation Team Unicorn tactics and came across an interview the day before. He brought it to me and asked if something came to mind when I read it. To tell you the truth, I couldn't find a thing. He went away, thought for a while and then brought photographs of the interview, thanks to Carly, and asked me if there was something different, anything, in the D-Wheels that I could remember. Of course, Kiryu was asking about the day of the practice match on the highway.

"Did you find that 'anything'?"

"I guess I did." Crow made an embarrassing smiled while caressing his hair. "When I looked at Andore's D-Wheel, it felt somehow different from the one I remembered from the practice, just that. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, though. I apologized to Kiryu from not been able to remember, but he just nodded and went off to God knows where again."

"And he came up with something."

"Indeed. Overboost System; Bruno had told him. Andore's D-Wheel was equipped with a device which could increase the speed of his D-Wheel for a brief period. It is borderline regulation, but allowed nevertheless."

"They wanted to seize the first turn," she interrupted. "But since Jack didn't give an inch on the start, it was impossible to use it. Wow. He drove dangerously close to Andore and blocked his every chance; as expected from the King." She paused, getting more serious. "But, why Team Unicorn went as far as enter the gray area of the WRGP's laws for a little advantage? And, why Team 5D's was so desperate to counter that maneuver?"

Crow chuckled. "Watch and you'll see." It was his time to be mysterious.

* * *

AnimeKiwi369: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. To tell you the truth, it was kind of hard to build Sherry's personality in my head. The duel was also hard... Anyway, Misty's chapter, where she let out all her feelings for Kiryu (kidding) is postponed to until Kiryu enters the fight.

FanficFemale: Dark Glasses' appereance at the last second was kind of a surprise to me too :P It wasn't suppose to be like that, but guess I let myself be dragged by climax. I'm glad you like it ^^

asianpandaxxx: Don't worry, I asure you we will have a good ending full of pairing and love... maybe... don't know.

Deviltrigger_Dante: Well, it will be Jack and Kiryu against the three. I hope I didn't disappoint you.

Sherry LeBlanc: I hope you like this chapter too. Also, Sherry has been a bad girl in the anime. Don't be like her, ok? :)

Chelseaj500: Oh, a new face! Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like it! Well, mysteriousness is what makes this fanfic going (I hope), but sooner or later you'll have your answers. Stick around and you'll see.

* * *

Another long wait, another short chapter. Guess I shouldn't have spent so much time marathoning Castlevania games.

Well, in between work, collage and whiping monster, I lost track of time. Is now a new year, right?. Well, a while pass that, so... Happy New Year and thanks to bear with my insolence ^^

I did promis a chapter with Misty POV. But as you could read, I switched to Crow again. I feel he needed a little more love since he will not participate in this instance of the WRGP. Also, this chapter helped me to introduce a new character, half OC, half canon: the mysterious woman, let's call her that for now (poor Crow, he was so nervous he forgot to ask her name :) ). Who she is? What she wants? How does she know so much about Team 5D's affairs? Uhh, mysteries...

This chapter was almost a monologue about Crow with little duel or even action, so I hope you didn't find it boring. But I found it really fun to write, in particular, the dialogue with the woman.

By the way, as you could read, I changed Team Catastroph match for Team White Wind (a canon team, look it up in the wikia!). This will be important in a near future, so be ready.

Anywaaaaaaay... Guess I'll be spoiling a little of the next chapter: It's Jack's battle against Andore. Expect a new POV and a fun duel... Let's see how much damage the Former King can inflict to the pesants.


	15. Andore

"Don't think that a simple Overboost System can give you the first move! You have no right to underestimate Jack Atlas at all!" roared Jack; his words like thunder; his fist up high, cutting through the wind. "Duel!"

A deafening cry came from the crowd. Everyone rose from their seats, all clapping hands at Jack, each one with his name on their lips. They hadn't forgotten their King; all the faces seemed to say, or his opulence or his manners in battle.

Jack rested his hand over his duel disk just a moment before drawing his cards. He glanced back at Andore, made a gesture and half a smile, and invited him to draw his.

So, he did know about the Overboost System, thought Andore. There was no mistake. Jack had said so and had come with a marvelous countermeasure against it. It seems Team 5D's was well prepared despite been maimed; too well prepared.

Andore turned his head to the side and saw the crowd and heard the cheers and felt the pressure on his back. How nostalgic this whole scene was, he reflected, as memories of the Fortune Cup besieged his mind. He put his hand on his deck and held the cards just a moment before purging the unnecessary thoughts, leaving only her smiling face as his whole world. "This started far better than expected," he said, as he lips imitated a smile for a second. I hope you're watching Alexa, this is for you. "Duel!"

"Take you long enough," Jack said. "Draw!" He held the card between his white gloved fingers and took a glimpsed at it. He was ready, it seemed. "I set three cards face down." The cards appeared on Jack's field, close to his D-Wheel. "Turn End!"

The crowd went silent; all cheers ceased, all replaced by soft mumblings. The MC spoke immediately, filling the void. "What just happened? Jack has decided not to play any monsters in his first turn! What an incredible opener!"

Andore's eyes went directly to his teammates, both seated at the pit. He saw Breo, pointing at him and Jean, making a smile, his chin resting on his palm; and Andore understood the situation in a heartbeat. Jean had said Team Unicorn was up against quite the nastiest from the very start. It seemed he wasn't joking.

Three cards in play, no monster on Jack's field. Did he know about our plan? Why would he struggle so much for the first turn? I guess I'll have to address that thought soon enough… "But, first things first! Draw!" said Andore.

Jack's LP: 4000 SC: 1

Andore's LP: 4000 SC: 1

There are six cards on my hand, three on my enemy's. From my hand I can count: two countermeasures moves, a fast attack, a delayed aggression and a move which involved his other teammates; five tactics total, all with different timings and execution, thought Andore, closing his eyes, realizing that something again.

So, this is what Jean was referring as Godlike Perception, this thinking of mine? Andore could not help pondering about it again, and how this perception of his had made a huge difference in all duels… He smiled at no one, as he recalled his first meeting with Jean. I should just forget it; too much sympathy to my self-worth will only cloud my judgment, as Alexa had once said… Besides, Jack's strategy was still far from certain.

"I would need just a little peek of one of those face down cards to reach a verdict," Andore whispered. He reached out his fingers to one of the cards on the card-holder and led it to the Duel Disk. He was sure how to do it. "First, I summon Tuner monster Unicorn's Familiar –Lv2. Def 1000." A small blue monster bearing a longhorn, materialized in front of Andore's D-Wheel. "By removing a Speed Spell from my hand I can summon Monoceros to the field. I remove Speed Spell – Speed Energy to fulfill the monster's summoning condition. Appear before me, Monoceros! –Lv3. Atk 1000." An enormous four legged animal came forth the blue portal, its large horn as a vanguard.

So, Jack had allowed my two monsters to live, Andore thought. I have now all the requirements to Synchro Summon and Jack haven't still countered it. So, in other words, Jack will make his move when I Synchro Summon.

Still, that was far from a Power Deck tactic. Was it possible that Jack had changed his strategy just to face Andore? Since Team 5D's was now a team with only two members, it seems like a possibility. Jack had seized the first turn with zeal and had not summoned monsters; that did mean something. Andore needed to know. "I expect great things from Team 5D's; from the former king as well," he said to Jack. "After all, this is no place for amateurs."

Jack looked back, barely moving his lips; most likely a snort of some sort. "Is that so?"

What an arrogant man. I wonder why you like him, nee-san. "I'm tuning Level 3, Monoceros with Level 2, Unicorn's Familiar." Two emerald rings encircled Andore, three starts danced within. "_Galloping in the heavens like thunder, crisscrossing them like a mighty gale; appear forth from the World of Myth and Legend! Synchro Summon!_" (2+3=5) "_Neigh_, Thunder Unicorn!" –Lv5. Atk 2200.

A blue and gold stallion trampled the field, its mane shining brighter than the sun. Awaken from Andore's call, the unicorn raised it sacred horn, and blue and gold stars were born from it.

"Oh! Andore's Ace Monster is here; Thunder Unicorn has been summoned! Let's see if Jack Atlas can handle it!" said the MC, and the crowd followed with cheers and songs and flags.

But Jack didn't seem move.

No counter still? Andore grew restless. Then this will do! "Thunder Unicorn –Atk 2200, Direct Attack!" Andore's monster raised its horn, and a beam of light emerged from it. "Thunder Spear!"

Jack moved his arm to one side; a card at the end of his fingers. "When an opponent declares a direct attack, I can Special Summon Battle Fader from my hand to end the Battle Phase. Appear, Battle Fader! –Lv0. Def 0." From Jack's field, a bat-shaped monster appeared; from its core descended a golden pendulum, which swung slowly from side to side.

The attack retracted and disappeared. "Jack Atlas has deflected an attack that could have been really painful!" said the MC.

An attack negating card, also a monster card… also, nothing relevant about Jack's strategy, thought Andore. An attack negating card was a ball and chain latter in the game, so Jack got rid of it from the start, and with it he summoned a, most likely, a material monster; simple card advantage.

Will Jack Synchro Summon Red Demon's Dragon next turn?

"When Monoceros is used as a Synchro Material Monster along with a Beast-Type Tuner monster, I can Special Summon that Tuner monster from the graveyard. Be reborn, Unicorn's Familiar! –Lv2. Def 1000." The blue creature appeared once again, it fangs at plain sight. "I set two cards face down. Turn End."

Andore shifted his eyes to Team 5D's pit. There, seated on chair and with his boots on the desktop was a figure that caught all his attention; a young man in a brown coat, long silver hair and Facility's mark, his arms crossed. The MC had called him Kyosuke Kiryu.

The Second Wheeler and the new hope of Team 5D's, eh? What had happened to Fudo Yusei? Was he a replacement of some sort? The team's leader, maybe? He looked so calm and collected even knowing he had only two D-Wheelers. Even the whole team seemed that way; the blue haired man next to him, the twins to his side, Jack Atlas too looked pleased and calm. How was that possible? Was it because of this person's charisma, his aura maybe? Somehow, Andore wanted to know. He wanted to know what made Kiryu so special. Somehow, he wanted to duel with him.

"Don't be spacing out! The duel continues!" said Jack Atlas, as imposing as ever, and Andore's thoughts were brought back to the field. "Draw!"

Jack's LP: 4000 SC: 2

Andore's LP: 4000 SC: 2

"By discarding a Level 4 or lower monster card, I can Special Summon Power Giant –Lv6 in my hand and reduce its level by the level of the monster discarded. I send Power Supplier –Lv2 to the graveyard. Come, Power Giant! –Lv4. Atk 2200." A blue portal was summoned to Jack's side, and from it came a huge monster, green and blue and white. "Now I summon Tuner monster Dark Resonator to the field –Lv3. Def 300." Jack's monster was a little demon with a dark robe and a diapason on its hands.

So, he was going to Synchro Summon. Had Andore overestimated Team 5D's strategy?

"I'm tuning Level 1, Battle Fader, Level 4 Power Giant with Level 3, Dark Resonator." Three emerald rings covered the stadium, and five stars illuminated it. "_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon!_" (1+4+3=8) "_My very soul_, Red Demon's Dragon!" –Lv8. Atk 3000.

The atmosphere dyed itself in crimson, the flames incinerated the air. Everyone rose from their seats, they all sung as one. The Demon King had arrived.

"Red Demon's Dragon –Atk 3000, attack Thunder Unicorn! –Atk 2200." The red dragon drew breath as fire surrounded its body. "Crimson Hell Flare!"

Predictable, as Jean had said. "I activate Unicorn's Familiar effect. When an opponent monster attacks one of my monsters, I can remove Unicorn's Familiar along with that monster from the field." Both monsters disappeared behind a blue veil, and Red Demon's Dragon attack accelerated towards Andore. "Reverse Card Open! Different Dimension Barrier - Lost Force!" The card rose and glowed as it shielded Andore from the attack. "When and opponent monster declares an attack, this card negates that attack and inflicts damage to my opponent equals to the Attack of that monster."

Red Demon's Dragon's Attack was 3000, so that mean Jack Life Points would go down to 1000.

But Jack had only lowered his eyes to his screen, oblivious to the incoming attack. Had he lost his hope? Or was thinking of something?

"Trap Card Open!" Jack yelled. "Synchro Out! By sending a Synchro Monster from my field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon its Material Monsters from the Graveyard with the same levels they were when I Synchro Summoned! I send Red Demon's Dragon to the Graveyard!" Jack's monster closed its wings around him, and disappeared behind a stream of stars. "Appear, Battle Fader –Lv1, Power Giant –Lv4, Dark Resonator –Lv3."

"Even if your monster is no more, you'll receive the damage that was negated!"

"I know, but only at the end of the Battle Phase! Trap Card Open, Urgent Tuning! I can Synchro Summon a monster in my Battle Phase!"

Another Synchro? How? Why?

"I'm tuning Level 1, Battle Fader, Level 4 Power Giant with Level 3, Dark Resonator." The three rings materialized flew again, five stars contained within. "_Darkened gales, become the wings that soar from resolved hope! Synchro Summon!_" (1+4+3=8) "_Soar_, Blackfeather Dragon!" –Lv8. Atk 2800.

From the light descended a black figure; its shape hiding in a whirlwind of black feathers; ruby eyes shining. The stadium shook with a cry, and then the figure was no more; now a dragon took its place.

"W-What is this? Jack Atlas has sacrificed his Ace Monster to summon a new dragon! I literally have no words left! What an exciting match!" said the MC, and everyone at the stadium seemed to think the same.

"I activate Blackfeather Dragon effect! Every time I would take damage by a card effect, I can lower Blackfeather Dragon's Attack –Atk 2800 to prevent that same amount of damage! Damage Drain!" The dragon stood between the stream of energy, and with its wings it shielded Jack from the attack.

So, that was the why behind everything; that new monster no one knew about. "But Blackfeather Dragon –Atk 0 had 2800 Attack and Red Demon's Dragon had 3000 Attack. By the effect of Different Dimension Barrier - Lost Force, you still take 200 damage!"

Jack's LP: 3800

Such terrifying monster. There wasn't anything like that in the reports of Team 5D's.

"Don't get so cocky. The duel will only get tougher from now one. Come, and I'll show you what Jack Atlas is capable of!"

Andore snorted. Brave words for sure. From where did Jack Atlas confidence came from? Alexa-neesan had said that was the way of the king. But Andore didn't think that. There was something else… If only he had the deductive skills Jean had…

And Andore saw it. There, in Team 5D's pit. He saw that smile; the weak smile on that man's face. "So, it was all you, Kyosuke Kiryu," Andore whispered. Been able to predict we would aim the first turn; that we knew Jack Atlas would be the First Wheeler. He knew all along that my strategy would center in counter Jack Atlas' Power Deck by only know about the Overboost System… That was way too much of a planning ahead. Too much risk involved in mere assumptions. "Are you perhaps a person that doesn't fear losses?"

He may be even better strategist than Jean was.

Andore managed a smile. Alexa, my sweet sister, forget about the autograph of the idol girl from Team White Wind that I promised; I already found someone more interesting.

"Trap Card Open!" Andore finally retorted. "Icarus Descent!" A card rose next to him. An image of winged being could be seen, diving at full speed towards the earth. "By removing from the game a monster in my hand and from my graveyard, I can return a monster that was removed from the game to my Deck or Extra Deck." So, I'll set the contingency plan as Jean had instructed, thought Andore. This duel is getting out of hand as the man in white had said. "I remove Sky Core from my hand and Monoceros from the Graveyard and return Thunder Unicorn to my Extra Deck. Additionally, if the card that returned was a Synchro Monster, both players draw two cards."

"Out of options already?" Jack glanced at his new cards. "I set these two cards face down. Turn End."

Yeah, pretty much. "Draw!"

Jack's LP: 3800 SC: 3

Andore's LP: 4000 SC: 3

"In my Standby Phase, if Unicorn's Familiar was removed from the game by its own effect, it returns to my field. To my side, Unicorn's Familiar! –Lv2. Def 1000."

Blackfeather Dragon –Atk 0 and three face down cards on my opponent's field. Unicorn's Familiar –Def 1000 on my side; three cards in my hand. From this point on I can count: an attack, a delayed attack, a stall tactic.

Andore could summon once again Thunder Unicorn in that turn. Attacking Blackfeather Dragon –Atk 0 would be like a Direct Attack and maybe the match; as additional help, he could recover one or two of the cards outside of play.

But the problems were just two… Well, only one in reality: Jack Atlas' counter-deck.

There was no mistake. Jack Atlas had modified his Power Deck and had turned it into a Control Deck. Most likely, when his first Synchro Summon reached the field, he had the advantage. Besides, that cards face down he had now would probably counter any upcoming damage dealt by effect. Since Andore's deck focused on counter Power Deck's brute force with effect damage; Jack Atlas' deck focused on negating effect damage with his Synchro Monsters; and since his Synchro Monster were more powerful than Andonre's…

A Counter Control Power Deck. Now, that was a risky.

So, letting him attack was out of the question. So much for Jean's strategy. Guess I'll have to figure out something later.

"If I control a Tuner monster and my opponent controls a monster, from my hand I can Special Summon Different Dimension Unicorn Knight –Lv4. Atk 1800." A winged humanoid appeared on the field, half a knight, half a unicorn. "When Different Dimension Unicorn Knight is successfully summoned, I can return to the field a Level 3 or lower monster removed from the game. To my side, Monoceros! –Lv3. Atk 1000."

"Synchro Summon again?" asked Jack, more annoyed than surprised.

Precisely. "I'm tuning Level 3, Monoceros with Level 2, Unicorn's Familiar." (2+3=5) "Be reborn, Thunder Unicorn!" –Lv5. Atk 2200.

Again, Andore's monster raised and gave a neigh, aware of the dragon's presence.

"Thunder Unicorn –Atk 2200, attack Blackfeather Dragon! –Atk 0. Thunder Spear!"

"T-That is like a Direct Attack!" interrupted the MC.

Jack made a 180º turn. "Continuous Trap Open! Burning Reborn!" Flames invaded the field and surrounded Jack's dragon. "By releasing a Level 8 or higher monster, I can Special Summon Red Demon's Dragon sleeping on my graveyard! I release Blackfeather Dragon! –Lv8. Come, my sworn sword, Red Demon's Dragon! –Lv8. Atk 3000."

The Wheel of Fortune surrounded itself by a pillar of fire, high as the sky. When the black dragon was consumed by the ambers, another creature took its place. Red Demon's Dragon had returned.

"Oh! Red Demon's Dragon is back!" continued the MC.

"Tsch!" cursed Andore. "Since battle conditions have changed, I stop the attack." A countermeasure for monsters attack as well? Jack was full of surprises. "By Monoceros ability, I Special Summon Unicorn's Familiar –Lv2. Def 1000 back to the field. I set a card face down. Turn End."

"My turn then. Draw!"

Jack's LP: 3800 SC: 4

Andore's LP: 4000 SC: 4

Two more Trap Cards to go. If Andore was right, the deck's advantage would be suppressed when Jack had no reverse cards on the field. Jack's strategies relied too much on those cards; and since card advantage decreases with time…

However, the little uneasiness on Andore's heart made he wonder if he could live pass that turn. "I want to be able to duel Kyosuke Kiryu," he said to himself as his vision drifted to Team 5D's pit. There he was, the Second and also Last Wheeler, arms crossed, eyes closed. "Just wait."

"Red Demon's Dragon –Atk 3000, attack Thunder Unicorn! –Atk 2200." The dragon dived forward; its entire body overflowing with power. "Absolute Power Force!"

Thunder Unicorn cried and fought, but the terrible dragon crushed the monster in one blow.

Andore's LP: 3200

"I set a card face down. Turn End." Jack lowered his speed until he reached Andore's side. "Come, I know you have much more than that."

Andore smiled. He wondered if his sister was watching him from the hospital and maybe thinking the same thing. Of course I do, he wanted to say; but he had to play as his team had commanded. "Trap Card Open! Parallel Select! When a Synchro Monster is destroyed by my opponent, I can add a Speed Spell that was removed from the game. I add Speed Spell – Speed Energy to my hand. This Trap Card also allows me to draw an extra card from my deck."

"Now we are talking," said Jack as he accelerated.

Let's do this, then. "Draw!"

Jack's LP: 3800 SC: 5

Andore's LP: 3200 SC: 5

Andore looked at his cards. There was no tactic that could defeat Jack Atlas in that turn. However, he could take down his Synchro Monster and inflict considerable damage. "If I do that, I'll be able to duel the Second Wheeler in no time… Jack Atlas, you'll fall by my hand!"

"Then come!" replied Jack. But his words were drowned by the cheers of the crowd.

Andore felt his heart beating furiously. It had been so long since he had such a magnificent duel.

"I summon Unibird –Lv2. Def 200 to the field. By removing this card and another monster from the game, I can Special Summon a Synchro Monster in my Graveyard with a Level less than or equal to the combined Levels of the removed monsters. I remove Unibird –Lv2 and Different Dimension Unicorn Knight –Lv4 from the game! Come forth, Thunder Unicorn! –Lv5. Atk 2200."

"Incredible! Andore's Ace Monster is back again! What is he planning?" interrupted the MC, as loud as he could.

"I activate Thunder Unicorn ability. Once per turn I can lower the Attack of Red Demon's Dragon by 500 for every monster I control except itself. I control Unicorn Familiar, so your dragon looses 500 Attack points! Go, Thunder Unicorn, Static Field!"

Thunder Unicorn raised it horn, and from it a blinding light surged the field, lowering Red Demon's Dragon –Atk 2500 attack.

"Still, my Red Demon's Dragon is far more powerful than your monster."

Wait and see. "I activate Speed Spell – Speed Energy. If I have 2 or more Speed Counters, I can select a monster from my field and increase its Attack by 200 for every Speed Counters I have. Right now, my Speed Counters are 5. So, I add 1000 to Thunder Unicorn –Atk 3200 Attack!"

"Impossible!" cried Jack.

Alexa-neesan, Kyosuke-san, I'm a step closer now. I may not need that new monster that the man gave us after all. "I attack Red Demon's Dragon –Atk 2500 with Thunder Unicorn! –Atk 3200. Thunder Spear!"

Andore's monster charged with incredible speed; its whole body as white as lighting. It pierced the dragon with easy. Jack's monster arched and cried, disappearing along the continuous card.

Jack's LP: 3100

"Reverse Card Open!" retorted Jack as the card appeared; a blue and red and white wave were on it. "Shock Wave! If I have less Life Points than my opponent, I can destroy a monster on the field and inflict damage to both players equal to the Attack of that monster!"

Andore shook his head. No… Don't tell me…

"I destroy Thunder Unicorn! –Atk 3200."

Those were 3200 points of damage to both players. That mean…

Jack's LP: 0

Andore's LP: 0

…Jack Atlas had planned this from the start. He led me to believe that a strong monster would be the only thing I would need to defeat him…

…It was as the man in white had said. I have been totally outplayed…

The crowd rose from their seats; all in utter silence. They could not believe what had just happed. "A DOBLE K.O! WHAT IS GOING ON?" The MC was the only who escaped the confusion.

* * *

Well, first of all: Sorry I didn't answer every single review as I was used to. I'm about to leave to a little holiday and I wanted to finish this chapter before leaving.

Second, I'M SO SORRY I disappeared during January. I was at my father's house in the countryside and there, well, Internet was kind of limited.

Anyway, thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed, added this fanfic to Favorites or Story Alert, and the ones who sent me PMs. Thanks, I didn't know you liked the story so much :)

Ok, now to the chapter: Maybe it had came as a surprise, but I decided to add Andore as one of the POV (I don't know if he will come back as one though). It was him or Jack, but after so much thought, I confess I knew little of what Jack is really thinking so I couldn't write his personality as I wanted.

As you could tell, next chapter will be the second part of the first match against Team Unicorn. I hope Kiryu can handle both Breo and Jean. Wait for a Misty POV with quite much love in it... Also, after that chapter, I'll resume Yusei's side of the story and his next encounter with a broken Sherry.

Also, we are reaching the last episodes of 5D's. I wonder if I could ever see Placido again. Well, I like Aporia, but Placido was far better.


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